In a fairly physical playoff series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat in the first round, things intensified in the second quarter of Game 4.
After Robert Covington fouled Goran Dragic on the fastbreak, James Johnson pushed Covington into the basketball stanchion. Ben Simmons came to his teammate's defense where both teams had to be separated according to Kenny Ducey of Sports Illustrated:
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/8vceuFLmPT
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) April 21, 2018
At the time of the altercation, the Heat were leading the Sixers 51-46 late in the second quarter. While this type of situation usually creates momentum for one team, Miami was able to maintain their lead heading into halftime, led by Goran Dragic's 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
After the Sixers regained homecourt advantage in Game 3, they are looking to take a commanding 3-1 lead as they return to Philadelphia. For a franchise that has been heavily criticized for rebuilding through the draft, Simmons and company exceeded expectations during the 2017-18 NBA season and some even feel they could represent the Eastern Conference in the 2018 NBA Finals.
As for the Heat, they are looking to pull off a first round upset. With Dwyane Wade returning to Miami at the trade deadline, he has been coming off the bench and looking to provide much needed experience.
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