Sixers blow 19-point first-half lead in 106-89 loss at Miami Heat, dropping their fourth straight game

MIAMI — Dru Smith got past Kelly Oubre Jr. and all the way down the lane, his fourth-quarter layup fully flipping the Heat’s 19-point deficit against the 76ers into a 20-point advantage.

The Heat rode that to a 106-89 victory Monday night at the Kaseya Center, handing the Sixers their fourth consecutive loss during this disastrous 2-11 start to the season. The result led to a postgame team meeting held among Sixers’ players and coaches, leaving the locker room uncharacteristically closed for more than an hour after the game.

“We’re playing defense in transition possession after possession after possession,” said coach Nick Nurse, who declined to go into further specifics after the meeting. “So [it was] similar [to other games this season]: Offense lets us down. It puts our defense in a bind.”

The Sixers shot 10-of-41 from three-point range — many of them wide-open looks — scored zero second-chance points, and shot 12 free throws compared to the Heat’s 23. In the second half, they totaled just 33 points.

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It was a game that began with a surprise start for Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid, who entered Monday listed as questionable to play with an illness, and then was downgraded to doubtful after missing the team’s morning shootaround. The 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player labored his way to 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting, along with eight rebounds, and five assists in 31 minutes. But he scored just two points in the second half despite remaining on the floor with reserves during the game’s closing minutes.

The Sixers still have yet to play with their full All-Star trio intact, as point guard Tyrese Maxey missed his sixth consecutive game with a right hamstring strain. He has resumed on-court work, including partaking in portions of Sunday’s practice, and is scheduled to be reevaluated on Tuesday, Nurse said.

Rookie guard Jared McCain led the Sixers with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting to continue his impressive start to his NBA career. Paul George added 18 points, but shot 5-of-13 from the floor, along with six rebounds and five assists, and Caleb Martin finished with 12 points in his first game against his former team.

Former Sixer Jimmy Butler finished with 30 points for the Heat.

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The Sixers’ massive first-half lead was aided by Miami missing 12 of its first 13 three-point attempts. But the Heat the stormed back with a 23-8 run to slash the Sixers’ advantage to 56-53 at the break. Miami then seized a 65-62 lead on a Duncan Robinson three-pointer at the 7-minute, 15-second mark of the third quarter, and outscored the Sixers 35-16 during that period.

The Sixers conclude this three-game road trip at the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday (8 p.m., NBCSP).