There may not have been a bigger effort by a 76ers player on Wednesday night in Philadelphia’s 105-104 NBA play-in tournament victory over the Heat than the one Nicolas Batum had.
Batum had 20 points, six 3-pointers, five rebounds and a crucial block late in the game.
It was that block that essentially sealed the win for the 76ers, who had been down by 12 at the end of the first half.
The clutch play came with less than 30 seconds to play in the game.
Tyler Herro was looking for a big 3-pointer with the Heat down 99-96 when his attempt was blocked by Batum, who managed to get his hand on the shot in time.
The 35-year-old veteran’s impact was felt on both ends of the floor in Philadelphia’s comeback.
He turned it on in the second half, registering 17 of his 20 points in the final two quarters.
“His defensive versatility is second to none,” Tyrese Maxey said of Batum after the game. “Tonight he guarded Herro, he guarded [Jimmy] Butler, he guarded Bam Adebayo at times. What he’s doing for this team has been remarkable. We appreciate him. We’re going to need him down the stretch and he’s a big part of what we’re trying to do. Tonight he hit some big shots.”
Maxey also called Batum the “star of the night.”
The win by the Sixers set up a first-round showdown with the Knicks, which will begin on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Game 1 is slated to tip off at 6 p.m.