PHILADELPHIA– The Sixers collected their first playoff win in six years.
The team defeated the Miami Heat at home by a score of 130-103 on Saturday night, giving the Sixers a 1-0 series lead.
Philadelphia had five players score at least 17 points, and were led with 28 by G J.J. Redick.
Rookie of the Year candidate G/F Ben Simmons fell just short of a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists in the victory.
The Sixers trailed the Heat at halftime, 60-56, but outscored the Heat by 31 in the game’s second half.
The team’s came victory came without the services of All-Star C Joel Embiid, who sat out while recovering from an orbital bone fracture.
While he didn’t play, Embiid rang the team in during its bell ringing prior to the game:
He is reportedly out of the NBA’s concussion protocol, and has already been ruled out for Game Two, which is set for Monday night at 8 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
