Simmons leads short-handed 76ers to comeback win over Heat

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Ben Simmons had a triple-double, J.J. Redick hit a crucial 19-foot, off-balanced jumper from the baseline with 19.4 seconds left and the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers came back from a 24-point second-half deficit to defeat the Miami Heat 104-102 on Wednesday night.

Dario Saric added 19 points and Marco Belinelli scored 17 in his first game with the 76ers, who won their fifth straight and 11th in a row on their home court.

Philadelphia played without All-Star center Joel Embiid, who sat because of soreness in his right ankle. Scheduled to start for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star game this weekend, Embiid is averaging 23.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

The 76ers began play in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, 1ˆ½ games ahead of the eighth-placed Heat.

James Johnson had 22 points and Goran Dragic added 18 for the Heat, who have lost seven of eight. Hassan Whiteside added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for Miami.

The Heat looked like they were going to coast to a victory when Luke Babbitt made a corner 3-pointer to make it 68-44 2:49 into the third quarter. But the 76ers outscored Miami 29-13 the rest of the third period and closed within 84-82 with 8:44 left in the fourth when Belinelli opened the period with three consecutive 3-pointers.

Philadelphia surged into the lead on Simmons' alley-oop finish after Redick's pass that made it 92-90 with 5:14 to play and the 76ers took their biggest lead on Belinelli's layup that put them up 100-94 with 2:25 left. Simmons finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Redick's off-balance jumper made it 102-99 with 19.4 seconds left. Wayne Ellington's tying attempt with 15 seconds remaining missed, and Philadelphia looked like it had the game won when Robert Covington made a pair of free throws with 13.1 ticks left.

But Tyler Johnson hit a 3 with 4.1 remaining to pull the Heat within 104-102, and then the 76ers turned it over on their next possession.

Dwyane Wade had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his 3-point attempt rimmed out.

TIP-INS

Heat: Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) missed his fourth straight game. . Wade had eight points in his third game back with the Heat since being traded from Cleveland. . Prior to the game, coach Erik Spoelstra expressed his sympathy and extended his prayers for the victims of the Parkland shooting.

76ers: Justin Anderson (right ankle sprain) didn't play after getting hurt in the second quarter of Monday's 108-92 win over the Knicks. . Richaun Holmes, who didn't play in five of the previous six games, had 11 points and nine rebounds. ... The last time the Sixers came back from 20-plus points to win was Dec. 23, 2014 at Miami. when they came back from 23 down to win 91-87.

UP NEXT

Heat: At New Orleans, Feb. 23.

76ers: At Chicago, Feb. 22.