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After a pair of atrocious performances on the road, the Miami Heat bounced back with authority in Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers, blowing them out 120-85. Erik Spoelstra's squad dominated in every way imaginable and fully proved why they're the number one seed in the East.
Here are 3 big things that changed as the Heat took a 3-2 series lead.
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3 big things that changed for Heat in Game 5 vs. Sixers
3. Shots finally hitting net
It was only a matter of time until the Heat found their stroke from downtown. After all, this is a team that finished with the best three-point clip in the Association at 37.9% during the regular season. Miami couldn't hit a shot to save their lives in Philly, shooting well under 30% in both games. But, good teams figure out and that's exactly what the Heat did.
Miami drained 39% of their treys on Tuesday night (13 for 33), with P.J. Tucker going 2 for 2 and Max Strus going 4 for 10 from long range. The ball movement was a mile better and the Heat managed to find lots of open looks beyond the arc. They need to ride the high and keep it up in a possible series-clinching Game 6.
2. Heat better without Lowry?
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Okay, Kyle Lowry is a great player and he's made a big difference for the Heat this season with his playmaking and leadership. But, this squad seems to function better, at least right now, without Lowry. He sat out Game 6 due to a sore hamstring that's been nagging him for most of the postseason. Lowry also posted a goose egg in Game 5. In place of the veteran, Gabe Vincent started on Tuesday, finishing with 15 points on 5 for 7 shooting. Victor Oladipo also dropped 13 points in 18 minutes off the bench as one of the players who filled in for Lowry. Between these two alone, their production was already better than the former Raptor.
When Lowry is available, Vincent and Oladipo usually play together. But as proven in Game 5, they both thrived at various times without each other. This Heat team possesses tremendous depth and looks better sans Lowry. He is a championship-caliber player and will be important to their success moving forward, but it could be smart to just let him rest up for the rest of the series and let Miami's jam-packed rotation take care of business. Evidence? The Heat won all five playoff games when Lowry was unavailable.
1. Harden struggles again
Just two days after James Harden showed glimpses of his former self as he showed out for 31 points, the Sixers star was pretty much non-existent on Tuesday. While The Beard did struggle to shoot the ball, the Heat did a much better job of shutting him down. He wasn't able to get downhill at the same rate as Game 5 and also only got to the line a total of three times. Miami's defense looked abysmal in Philadelphia but it was a much different story here.
Sure, Harden didn't exactly help his own case, but the Heat definitely made his life more difficult. With Embiid clearly battling numerous injuries, Jimmy Butler and Co. must continue to keep Harden in check as they look to close out the series on Thursday.
