Nick Nurse and the Sixers fall apart in the 4th, lose very winnable game against the Heat 119-109

The Sixers were up four with under eight minutes left in Miami on Monday night and lost by 10 points. That is the whole story and it is an ugly one.

Joel Embiid hit a three to push it to 107-103 and the game looked like it was theirs to close. Then Miami went on a 14-0 run and the Sixers stood around the three-point line while the Heat picked them apart.

Tyler Herro hit two back-to-back threes. Jaquez spun through the defense for a layup. Larsson banked in a push shot. Herro added a runner. Philly couldn’t score and couldn’t stop anything late when it mattered most.

Final score Heat 119. Sixers 109.

final.@cryptocom pic.twitter.com/TfmucrdCuk

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 31, 2026

Nick Nurse called a timeout during the decisive stretch, drew up a play, and ran nothing. Embiid was sitting in the paint against the Miami zone and nobody fed him.

Paul George disappeared in the fourth after a genuinely impressive first half. The third quarter was the same third quarter the Sixers have been playing all season, giving back whatever cushion they built in the first half and forcing themselves into another fourth quarter comeback situation.

Obviously this time around, the comeback did not come.

Sixers Individual Performances Were Fine…

Embiid had 26 points and seven rebounds. Maxey posted 23 points, nine assists, and seven boards. George added 19. Tyler Herro went off for 30 and Bam Adebayo put up 23/16/6 for Miami which is a number that is hard to overcome regardless of what you run in the fourth quarter.

George’s play since returning from suspension is worth noting even on a losing night. Over the last three games he is averaging 24.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.0 steals, shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.

Sixers take a hit in the standings…

Miami won the season series and sits at 40-36. The Sixers are 41-34 in seventh.

The Hawks won and extended their lead over Philadelphia with seven games left. This was not a must-win but it would have made things considerably easier.

Back at it in D.C. against the Wizards on Wednesday.

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