JOEL EMBIID INSPIRES PHILADELPHIA 76ERS FIGHTBACK AGAINST MIAMI HEAT TO SET UP NEW YORK KNICKS PLAYOFF SHOWDOWN

The Philadelphia 76ers set up a NBA playoffs first-round encounter against the New York Knicks after defeating the Miami Heat 105-104. The 76ers had been trailing at half-time, but turned it around in the final two quarters. Joel Embiid had a particularly impressive performance in the fourth quarter, keeping his team in front. The Heat will now play the Chicago Bulls for the final playoff spot. Joel Embiid scored 23 points, 15 rebounds and five assists as the Philadelphia 76ers narrowly defeated the Miami Heat 105-104 in the NBA play-in tournament. The 76ers were trailing 51-39 at half-time, prompting boos from the disappointed home crowd at the Wells Fargo Centre. But they reduced the deficit to just five points at the end of the third quarter, before taking the lead with just nine minutes to go. Embiid’s performance kept his team in front, scoring two free throws, a straightaway three-pointer and a traditional three-point play in the final quarter. “There was lots of booing, but we stuck together,” said Embiid. “It just shows that when I don’t play my best, I don’t get to my spots the whole game until the fourth quarter, we still find a way to win.” The victory booked the 76ers a place in the Eastern Conference playoffs as the seventh seed, setting up a first-round encounter against the second seed New York Knicks. “I think they’re for real,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said about the Knicks. “I think they’re really good. I think they’re fast. I think they can shoot. I think they hit the glass. They can guard you. “I think they’ve earned that [second] seed. They’ve played really well and beaten a lot of good teams. So we have our work to do these next couple of days to get ready for them.” The Heat will now come up against the Chicago Bulls in the play-in eliminator on Friday night to decide the eighth and final playoff spot. They may have to do so without Jimmy Butler, who suffered a knee injury during the game against the 76ers. The Bulls progressed to the eliminator with a 131-116 victory against the Atlanta Hawks in front of a home crowd. Coby White was the standout player, finishing the game with a regular season career-best 42 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The Hawks were still in contention with five minutes left on the clock, but Nikola Vucevic’s three-pointer swung the momentum in the Bulls’ favour and they ended the match with a comfortable lead.