Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers fall at home to Tyler Herro and the Heat

Despite double-doubles from Jared Butler and Adem Bona the Sixers fell at home on Sunday night in South Philly.

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 16
Quentin Grimes – 9
Joel Embiid – 8
Jared McCain – 8
Paul George – 7
Justin Edwards – 6
Kelly Oubre Jr – 5
Guerschon Yabusele – 4
Adem Bona – 2
Ricky Council IV – 2
KJ Martin – 2
Jared Butler – 1
Jeff Dowtin – 1
Andre Drummond – 1
No One – 1

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The Sixers welcomed Eastern Conference foe the Miami Heat to the Wells Fargo Center for a Saturday night tilt. The Heat are destined to be participating in the NBA Play-In Tournament next month while the Sixers continue to jockey for lottery position. A loss in this one would officially eliminate the Sixers from the playoff picture.

A competitive first quarter ended with the Heat taking a 34-29 advantage after one. Quentin Grimes led the way for the Sixers like he often has since the Sixers acquired him at the trade deadline from Dallas. Grimes finished the first quarter with a game- and team-high 11 points, including 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point line.

The Heat stretched their lead in the second quarter, but the Sixers stuck within arm’s length due to a balanced offensive attack. The Sixers were led by 12 points off the bench from Ricky Council IV, who had a lot of success getting downhill to the rim where he displayed a few acrobatic finishers. The Heat were carried by 17 points from first year All-Star guard Tyler Herro. The Heat would head to intermission with a nine-point lead by a score of 62-53.

The Heat finally took complete control of this one in the third. The Heat starters dominated the period as they all finished the quarter with double figures on the game. The Heat got 22 and 20, respectively, from Herro and former Sixer Alec Burks. The Sixers were led by 16 points from Jared Butler who has continued his steady play of late. The Sixers would go to the fourth quarter facing a 21-point deficit by a score of 96-75.

The fourth quarter went on without much intrigue. The Heat would go onto win 118-95 behind 30 points from Herro.

Time for the Bell Ringer.

Adem Bona: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 8-of-9 from the field

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Sixers rookie Adem Bona put together one of his best games of his young NBA career. Bona was all over the place in this one like he often is. Bona displayed his typical arial assault skying through the air for blocks and dunks. Bona continues to show that he is a very solid rotation guy for the Sixers as a rim-running and versatile defensive five.

Justin Edwards: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-of-10 from field, 4-of-6 from three

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Edwards had an efficient game offensively again in this one. Edwards shooting and ability to adapt and fit alongside any lineup should have Sixers fans excited for his long-term future with this team. While Edwards did struggle some with covering Heat All-Star Tyler Herro, defense has been a strong point of his game all season and taking these kinds of matchups as a rookie will prepare him for these kind of assignments down the line.

Jared Butler: 19 points, 10 assist, 7-of-12 from the field, 4-for-4 from three

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Jared Butler played a terrific game in this one as the primary ball handler for the Sixers. Butler buried all four of his three-point attempts. The best part of Butler’s game in this one was his facilitating, setting up teammates, and running the offense. Even more so than just his box score stats of 10 assists, Butler played an excellent floor game, probing in pick-and-rolls and making the proper reads, something he excelled at in his time at Baylor. Butler, who recently inked a two-year deal with the Sixers, is showing to be a solid future rotation piece for the Sixers.