Heat keep play-in hopes alive with late 14-0 run to down 76ers

But the key was that the Heat tightened up their slumping defense in the final minutes, stopping the 76ers on five straight possessions, with Herro's block on Paul George the biggest play.

76ers may have been exhausted

One reason the Sixers may have folded down the stretch was simply fatigue. Tyrese Maxey played 44 minutes on Monday after logging 43 minutes Saturday in his return from a three-week layoff. Embiid wore down after 34 minutes, after playing 36 on Saturday, and told reporters after the game that he was ill.

Philly has struggled to get Maxey, Embiid and George together on the floor all season, thanks to multiple injuries and George's suspension. But head coach Nick Nurse doesn't seem interested in resting his fragile Big Three, even with just two weeks to go before the playoffs.

Perhaps Nurse is trying to avoid the play-in and catch the Atlanta Hawks for sixth place — the Sixers are 1.5 games back — which would give the team at least five days of rest before the playoffs. Still, he'd do well to keep his team fresh for the fourth quarter and for the postseason.