The Miami Heat made quick work of the Philadelphia 76ers in their 125-98 win on Wednesday.
Miami jumped out to a ten-point lead after one quarter, and took a 20-point advantage into the locker room at the half. The 76ers have one of the worst records in the NBA, and had plenty of difficulty keeping up with the suddenly contending Heat.
Philadelphia trimmed the lead by six in the third quarter, but Miami quickly squashed any ideas of a comeback. The Heat ended up outscoring the 76ers in the final quarter by 13 more points.
The Heat sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference even with this win, but they are within striking distance of three seeds. When play started on Wednesday, Miami only trailed the sixth seeded Indiana Pacers by four games. There are 21 contests remaining after this victory.
Three of Miami's starters reached 15 points in a team win. Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters all tied for the lead in points, as far as starters go. Whiteside meanwhile had another double-double as he added 11 rebounds as well.
Tyler Johnson led the Heat in points with 24 off the bench. Johnson has been a massive part of Miami's offense as of late, and has also contributed defensively. Besides the points, Johnson tallied two rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Miami will make the short trip to Orlando for a game against the Magic on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
