Ben Simmons Triple-Doubles as 76ers Win Chippy Game 4 over Heat

Ben Simmons posted a triple-double (17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists) and JJ Redick added 24 points as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Miami Heat 106-102 in Game 4 of their first-round NBA playoff series on Saturday in Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena.

Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 25 points, while Josh Richardson had seven steals.

Simmons led the 76ers on a 19-2 run that turned an 83-73 third-quarter deficit into a 92-85 advantage with 5:50 remaining in the game. He and Ersan Ilyasova either scored or assisted on 17 of those 19 points, with the lone exceptions being two Joel Embiid free throws.

This Simmons jumper gave the 76ers a 91-85 lead:

The Heat wouldn't go away quietly, however, as Wade led a furious charge down the stretch. The future Hall of Famer scored 10 points in a 3:40 span, and his 16-footer with 43.9 seconds left cut the 76ers' lead to just 102-101:

However, Redick responded with a jumper to extend Philadelphia's lead to 104-101. After Wade hit one of two free throws, Redick was fouled and made two from the charity stripe to give the 76ers a 106-102 edge. Miami came up empty on its last possession, and Philadelphia dribbled out the clock for the win.

Per SLAM Magazine, Simmons joined a rare club with his performance:

Wade's night shouldn't be forgotten either. Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press put the 36-year-old's performance in context with the rest of his 14-year career:

Overall, the game was a frenetic, physical affair that featured 57 personal fouls and 45 turnovers. For late 1990s NBA fans, it resembled the old Heat vs. New York Knicks games in which physical play (and fighting) were common.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel even made a joke in reference to that era, citing the Knicks' enforcer from those days:

One sequence symbolized the first 24 minutes:

Richardson and Justise Winslow both suffered injuries, while Simmons and James Johnson got double technicals for their tussle following Robert Covington's foul on Goran Dragic. Richardson went into the locker room but returned to action in the third quarter, and Winslow rejoined his team after getting a few stitches.

Unlike the late 1990s, however, both teams managed to light up the scoreboard, with the Heat taking a 61-56 lead into the break. Dragic led Miami on both ends with 13 points and four steals, including this nifty swipe and layup:

Wade (11 points) and Wayne Ellington (10 points) led the Miami effort off the bench. Redick paced the 76ers with 12 points in the first half.

The 76ers now lead the Heat three games to one and can advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a home victory on Tuesday.

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