Philadelphia (32-26) appear to be in line for their first winning season since going 35-31 in the lockout-shortened 2011/12 season, which was also the last time they made the playoffs. The 76ers had a seven-game winning streak snapped with a 109-94 setback at Washington on Sunday.
Joel Embiid had 25 points and ten rebounds while rookie Ben Simmons had 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as Philadelphia shot a season-low 36.0 percent. But it also continued a trend in which the 76ers have come up short on the road against the NBA's better teams.
Sunday's loss marked Philadelphia's fifth in their last six road games, and their fourth straight against teams with a winning record. Three of those four defeats have been by double-digit margins, and the 76ers have been held under 40 percent shooting in the two most recent losses.
Miami (31-29) snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in their last ten games with a 115-89 thrashing of Memphis on Saturday. Tyler Johnson scored 23 points to lead six players in double figures as the Heat turned 22 Grizzlies turnovers into 26 points and outscored Memphis 50-30 in the paint.
The Heat are 20-6 when holding opponents under the century mark but have done so just twice in their last nine games, winning both. In six of the seven defeats in which opponents have topped 100 points, the Heat have lost by six or fewer points.
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