3 observations after Sixers erase 21-point deficit but lose to Heat on Christmas 

Joel Embiid's absence and Tyrese Maxey's 4-for-20 outing did not spell a Christmas victory for the Sixers.

Though they wiped out a 21-point deficit, the Sixers ultimately fell to a 119-113 road loss Monday night to the Heat.

Miami rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 31 points on 11-for-15 shooting and 10 rebounds.

Bam Adebayo scored 26 points and grabbed 15 boards for the Heat, who moved to 18-12.

The Sixers' leading scorers Monday were Tobias Harris (27 points) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (25 points). Mo Bamba also had a big game off the bench, notching 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting.

The 20-9 Sixers were missing Embiid (right ankle sprain) and Nicolas Batum (right hamstring strain).

Miami was without Jimmy Butler (left calf strain), Josh Richardson (lower back discomfort) and Haywood Highsmith (head cold). Caleb Martin exited late in the first quarter and did not return because of a sprained right ankle. 

The Sixers will play the second game of a four-game road trip Wednesday night against the Magic. Here are observations on their Christmas defeat:

Reed starts, runs into major foul trouble 

Paul Reed took Embiid’s spot in the Sixers’ starting lineup, making his second start of the season and the sixth of his career. 

Adebayo drained a jumper over Reed on Miami’s first possession. However, Oubre answered with a drive down the middle of the floor and dunk. Oubre also made a highlight play early on defense when he swooped in to block Tyler Herro at the rim. 

The Sixers’ defense was impressively active in the opening stages. The team scored the game’s first nine points off of turnovers. Reed ran the floor hard after a Miami giveaway, got a post-up on Kyle Lowry, and hit a lefty jump hook. A second straight hot start by Harris helped the Sixers seize a quick 10-point lead. He successfully went at Jaquez a couple of times, nailed a corner three, and played decisively.  

The night soon twisted sharply downward for Reed and the Sixers, though. 

Adebayo obviously remembered the Heat’s second-round playoff matchup against the Sixers in 2022, and he knew Reed was susceptible to pump fakes and patient moves in isolation. With 9:39 left in the second quarter, Reed already had four fouls. 

Reed’s aggression often serves him well and he’s been a good backup for Embiid in most games this season. Still, he remains a high-foul player who sometimes struggles to adapt when his team would like him to ease off the gas a bit. 

A deflating Sixers drought 

Jaquez was central during a Heat surge to close the first quarter, attacking effectively with his mix of craftiness and physicality. 

While that was valuable for Miami, the defining stretch of the first half was a nightmarish Sixers drought. At the 5:40 mark of the first quarter, Oubre made a three-pointer to put the Sixers up 21-12. And with 9:26 to go in the second, Harris knocked down a mid-range shot … that cut the Sixers’ deficit to 34-24.

That period was full of missed jumpers. Of course, the Sixers could not quell Miami's momentum by dumping the ball into their scoring champion center, taking a breath, and getting two points at the foul line.

The Sixers generated quite a few decent looks, although the Heat did defend well and the Sixers forced plenty of contested threes up. They had far too many possessions in which Miami didn’t have to worry about a drive or have to guard multiple consecutive actions. 

Almost everyone played a role in the bucket-less run. The Sixers’ bench began 0 for 8 from the floor. KJ Martin, who entered early in the second quarter, broke the second unit’s ice with a fast-break lefty layup. 

Maxey started 0 for 9 from the field and didn’t score until a driving hoop a little over two minutes into the third quarter. 

The 23-year-old couldn’t connect on long-range jumpers, layups and floaters. By late in the second quarter, he was visibly irritated that none of the contact he absorbed drew any free throws. Maxey does indeed typically not appear to receive a generous whistle, but there’s clearly a lot that went wrong for him in Miami unrelated to officiating.

It’s not necessary to view Maxey’s night as emblematic of deeply concerning flaws. Great players have bad games on occasion, and Maxey had a very rough one Monday without the reigning MVP alongside him. 

Between Maxey and De'Anthony Melton (5 for 17), the Sixers' starting backcourt shot 24.3 percent.

Sixers briefly surge ahead but fall to another Embiid-less L

Of all the players active Monday, no one would’ve picked Bamba as the one most likely to start 6 for 6 from the field.

Although most of Bamba’s action this season have come late in blowouts, he was up for the extended minutes created by Embiid's injury and Reed’s foul trouble. The 7-footer was a giant bright spot for the Sixers, producing both in the paint and beyond the arc. His triple from the right wing trimmed the Heat’s lead down to 50-43. 

Miami got back on track and looked on the way to a smooth victory when a third-quarter Jaquez three extended the team's advantage to 70-49.

The Sixers sure didn't think the game was over, making a comeback push right away. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used a variety of defenses, including a zone with Bamba parked in the middle. Herro and the Heat started to rely too heavily on jumpers, and they lost rhythm as the misses accumulated and the Sixers' deficit evaporated.

Both Harris and Oubre played ultra-confident and efficient basketball during the Sixers' charge in the third quarter. Harris scored a 1-on-1 basket inside on Herro to tie the game. Two Patrick Beverley free throws gave the Sixers an improbable 84-82 lead.

Since opening night in Milwaukee, Oubre has appeared to enjoy moments in the spotlight and believe he's capable of greatness, regardless of who or what he's up against. That alone does not mean Oubre is destined for playoff success, but it's easy now to imagine him thriving in a postseason game where the Sixers need someone to compensate for an off night by Maxey or Embiid.

With Maxey still not near his usual self in the fourth quarter — he even missed two late foul shots — the Sixers' margin for error was minuscule. All mistakes and squandered opportunities stung.

The Sixers conceded a wide-open three to Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, Oubre missed two free throws in a row, and Miami was the better team in the final minutes.

Despite a spirited Christmas comeback, the Sixers will leave Miami 0-4 this season without Embiid.