Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Heat Knock off Another Top Team

When the Miami Heat play to the level that we all know they can, they are going to be a hard team to stop, as evidenced by their dominating 20-point victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers were coming off two impressive home wins against two powerhouses in the Eastern Conference in the Orlando Magic and the Chicago Bulls, but their luck ran out against the Heat on Friday night.

The Heat battled back and forth with the 76ers for three quarters, with the score standing at 67-63 at the end of the third.

I'm sure you know what happens next.The Heat failed to close out another game and they—not so fast. 

For the first time in quite awhile, the Heat closed out a game against a legitimate NBA team in the fourth quarter, which is somewhat shocking.

The ability to close out close games and pull away from opponents late in the fourth quarter have been the Heat's biggest issues this season.

How did the Heat overpower the 76ers late Friday night?

They didn't do it by relying on the play of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. The Heat dismantled the 76ers late in the game by playing like a team, which isn't something they've done a lot this year.

I know it's hard to believe, but while people argue about whose team the Heat is and which star player is the best of the three, the reality is that the Heat play their best basketball and they are the most dangerous when they're playing as a cohesive unit.

I'm not talking about just the "big three" playing like a cohesive unit. I mean every member of the Miami Heat that steps foot on the basketball court.

The Heat, as a team, shot an impressive 51.9 percent from the field and an even more impressive 61.5 percent from beyond the arc, and they did so by moving the ball to find the open man rather than rushing their offense.

Instead of one player like LeBron, Wade or Bosh running the show offensively in the fourth quarter, seven players from the Heat scored at least one basket.

Mike Miller led the way with 10 points, while Wade followed with nine. In addition, five other players produced for the Heat, starting with Udonis Haslem (four points), James (two points), Mario Chalmers (two points) Bosh (two points) and Norris Cole (two points).

What's even more impressive than that offensive production is the fact that James created a majority of those offensive opportunities, totaling six assists in the fourth quarter alone.

LeBron haters will focus on the fact that he only scored two points in the fourth, but in all reality he was the most valuable player on the court for the Heat with his ability to create open opportunities for his teammates.

LeBron's ability to take over the game while only scoring two points was the real difference maker in the fourth quarter, helping the Heat become more of a cohesive team than simply a one-man show.

His ability to bring his team together late in a game shows just how great of a player he is and how valuable he is to the Miami Heat.

LeBron scores 40 points and the Heat lose to a (10-12) Milwaukee Bucks team that just lost to the (5-20) Detroit Pistons.

LeBron scores 19 points, but more importantly totals six assists in the fourth quarter, and the Heat beat a (16-7) Philadelphia 76ers team coming off wins against the (12-9) Orlando Magic and the (18-6) Chicago Bulls.

You decide which James is more valuable to his team. 

No matter which version of LeBron you choose, there's no denying the fact that when the Heat play as a cohesive team, as they did against the 76ers Friday night, they are nearly impossible to stop, which is something that other NBA teams need to worry about.

The Miami Heat might not have the best record in the NBA or even in the Eastern Conference, but one thing is for sure: regardless of their record, when the Heat are playing like a true team they are hands down the best team in the NBA.