Philadelphia qualified for the playoffs thanks to 20 points scored by Nicolas Batum, and Atlanta was eliminated
Led by the excellent Nicolas Batum (20 points, 5 rebounds), the Sixers won their match against Miami on Wednesday evening (105-104), and will meet with New York in the first round of the playoffs. Atlanta comes out after its defeat in Chicago (131-116). The Bulls will face the heat in last place.
"I think I looked very hard at Joel (Embiid) at first. "And after that, I took on my responsibilities," summed up Nicholas Batum on the floor at the end of the match. The 35-year-old French veteran was the big man in the Sixers ' 105-104 victory over the heat on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
His team suffered greatly in the first half, hampered by the Miami zone defense. Having returned from injury since April 2, Joel Embiid looked out of rhythm, limited to only 10 points in 2/8 at the break (the score is 51-39 in favor of Miami).
Coby White put up a GAME-HIGH 42 PTS to propel the @chicagobulls to the win!
— NBA (@NBA) April 18, 2024
🔥 42 PTS
🔥 9 REB
🔥 6 AST
🔥 2 STL
🔥 0 TO
Bulls advance to face the @MiamiHEAT for the #8 seed in the East on Friday at 7pm/et on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/VBcSFk6Vb1
The Sixers gained momentum after returning from the locker room under the leadership of Nicolas Batum, who is relentless behind the arc (17 points at 5/8 from a distance in the second half). The French winger also did a great job in defense on Jimmy Butler, and then blocked Tyler hero at the end of the match while the Heat player was hoping for a draw (the score was 99-96).
Tyrese Maxey finished the job at the free throw line to secure the final victory for the Sixers (105-104). Joel Embiid finished the game with 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Tyler hero was the scorer of the match (25 units). The Sixers, retaining their seventh place in the East, will meet the New York Knicks (second) in the first round of the playoffs from April 20.
Sixers player Buddy Hield will play his first playoff game after 632 games played in the NBA, the longest streak for a player currently in the league.
Kobe white leads Chicago with 42 points
The other game of the evening pitted Chicago against Atlanta, ninth and tenth respectively in the regular season standings in the East.
The Hawks held out only in the first half against the Bulls, before collapsing after returning from the locker room. Chicago leader Kobe White (24) was the man of the match with 42 points on 15/21 shooting, the best in his career. Nikola Vucevic added 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
After a decrease in the number of his points since he recently suffered a finger injury, Hawks leader Trey Young struggled with shooting (22 points at 4/12), unable to prevent a quiet Bulls victory (131-116).
Chicago will meet Miami on April 19 in the second play-off match. The winner will take the eighth place in the ranking of the eastern region, which is enough to face Boston (first) in the first round of the playoffs. Bad news for a Heat team that may be deprived of its star Jimmy Butler. The winger is scheduled to undergo an MRI of his knee on Thursday, The Athletic newspaper reported.
