Sixers-Heat takeaways: Buddy Hield’s newfound basketball freedom, Miami’s zone and more

The 76ers had a tough time scoring from deep in the second half Wednesday night

Buddy Hield took advantage of his newfound basketball freedom once again. But Hield and his teammates were so-so executing against the Miami Heat’s zone defense.

Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 109-104 loss to the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center.

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The Sixers were solid from three-point range in the first half. Hield was 4 of 7 from deep while the team was 8 of 21. However, things changed after intermission. Hield made just 1 of 4 threes. Ricky Council IV went 1-for-3, and the rest of the Sixers combined to go 0-for-7.

“We didn’t quite generate the looks from three that we were getting in the first half,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said after the Sixers shot 2-for-14 after intermission. “I thought we had some decent shots that we needed to go in that didn’t. [The Sixers had] a couple of empty possessions with a few turnovers as well.

“But jeez, our guys fought like heck, and worked really hard. I say in these games [we] got to give ourselves a chance, and I felt we gave ourselves a chance tonight.”

Hield is showing why Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said he was Thursday’s best trade acquisition. Hield finished with 22 points, a season-high 10 assists, three rebounds, and two steals on Wednesday.

He’s averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in four games since being acquired from the Indiana Pacers.

“I think God works in mysterious ways,” Hield said. “Coming from the Pacers where I was just playing my role, just being a floor spacer. Tyrese Haliburton is the guy over there. He does so much for everybody … So I don’t get to do as much. I wasn’t allowed to show what I can do because he generates so much offense for everybody else because he’s that good.”

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As a Sixer, he’s seizing the moment while the team is undermanned. Hield has handled the ball and created for others. At the same time, he still has showcased his shooting ability, making 18 of 40 three-pointers. That ties Malik Beasley, O.J. Mayo, and Dorell Wright for the most threes by a player within their first four games with an NBA franchise.

On Wednesday, he joined Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, and Hall of Famer Allen Iverson as the only Sixers to register five three-pointers and 10 assists in a game.

The Sixers have struggled mightily in the past against the Heat’s zone defense. This time, they did a solid job of running their offense. The Sixers just couldn’t make a shot when it mattered.

“I thought we got in the high post and got it into the short corner and had some chances there,” Nurse said. “We executed a few things really well and maybe turned down a couple of open three and tried to drive. It was a tough driving night because Bam [Adebayo] was sitting underneath the basket the whole game.”

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It’s not that the Sixers took bad shots. They just didn’t have enough opportunities in transition. The Sixers did have some dump-offs with center Paul Reed (18 points on 7-for-12 shooting) getting chances in the middle of the paint.

“Their wings are pretty big and all that stuff,” Nurse said. “I thought our guys did a pretty good job of trying to find some good shots.”

They just couldn’t overcome a late key stretch in the fourth quarter that featured 1-for-6 shooting and two crucial turnovers.