Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and his Philadelphia 76ers counterpart Joel Embiid went back and forth during Monday’s game. Adebayo’s Heat, the home team, outlasted the 76ers 119-109 in a highly entertaining duel.
After the game, Adebayo, Embiid and 76ers guard Kyle Lowry met near center court for a lively interaction. During the exchange, the trio discussed a certain play where Adebayo told Embiid that he didn’t even foul the former MVP.
As Bam Adebayo kept arguing his case, Joel Embiid tapped his opponent’s chest before walking away. Adebayo and Lowry, former Heat teammates, continued to talk before going their separate ways.
Interestingly, Embiid only went to the free-throw line five times, making four of his attempts. Meanwhile, Adebayo feasted from the 4.5-meter line, hitting 12 of 13 shots. The former finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while the latter tallied 23 points, 16 rebounds and six assists.
Adebayo and Co. got the win, but he had to let Embiid know about one play that he thought was called incorrectly by the referees.
Bam Adebayo and Joel Embiid Leading Respective Teams in Jostling for Playoff Positions
The Miami Heat’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers improved their record to 40-36 for the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference. They crept within three games of the Atlanta Hawks (43-33) for the No. 6 spot and outright playoff berth.
The loss to Miami will sting for Embiid and his teammates. Philly (41-34) moved 1.5 games behind the Hawks for that coveted guaranteed postseason ticket. The defeat also allowed the Heat to win the season series against the 76ers, giving Miami the edge in a potential tiebreaker.
Bam Adebayo’s Heat have six games remaining on their schedule, so they still have a shot of avoiding the play-in tournament. If they fail to earn an outright playoff spot, they will be happy to get the No. 7 or 8 seed for the pre-playoff tournament.
Joel Embiid’s 76ers are closer to the Hawks than the Heat. With seven games left for Philly, it still has a decent chance of barging straight into the playoffs. If that doesn’t happen, the Sixers will be content to hold on to the No. 7 spot for the play-in tournament.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball and college baseball.
