Embiid scores 45, Mathias wins it for 76ers in OT on 3

Joel Embiid had 45 points and 16 rebounds, Dakota Mathias’ only basket of game was a go-ahead 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds left and Philadelphia 76ers hung on to beat undermanned Miami Heat 137-134 in overtime on Tuesday night.

Embiid had one of great games of his career and carried Sixers with a perfect third quarter and clutch buckets in OT to put m on brink of victory.

It was little-kwn Mathias with stunner that won it. Mathias, who went undrafted in 2018 and signed this season with Sixers as a two-day G League player, got ball from top of arc and buried it for 134-132 lead.

With Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic among Heat sitting out for COVID-related reasons, y pushed Sixers into OT with a mad-dash end to fourth. Tyler Herro helped Heat overcome Embiid’s dominant effort when his 3-pointer tied game 115-all with 2:25 left. Precious Achiuwa scored two straight baskets -- first off Philly’s shot clock violation, n off a turver -- for a 119-115 lead.

Embiid buried pull-up jumper just inside 3-point arc with 3.3 seconds left that tied it 120-120 and sent game into overtime. It was his only bucket of fourth after he made all eight shots in third.

Embiid’s go-ahead three-point play with 2:37 left in OT put Sixers up 126-124, and Herro matched his regulation atrics with ar tying 3 for 129-all.

Danny Green matched 76ers' record with nine 3-pointers and scored 29 points and Mike Scott had 16 points. Herro finished with 34 points, Duncan Robinson had 26 and Gabe Vincent 24.  game orwise belonged to Embiid.

Embiid picked up slack in third quarter after scoring just 10 points in first half to help Sixers snap a two-game losing streak.

He smacked ball away under basket to break up a Miami possession, n hustled down to hit Isiah Joe for a 3 and cut hole to four. Embiid followed that by shaking off a double team and tossing an underhand shot for basket. He made free throw and Sixers were down one. Embiid made it back-to-back three-point plays when he got Heat to bite on a pump-fake from free-throw line.

big man even handled rock with ease and went length of floor to hit a little fadeaway and extend lead. He was 16 of 23 from floor and made all 13 free throws.

TIP-INS

Heat: F/C Meyers Leonard sat out with a strained left shoulder. ... Heat continued to struggle with roster issues after ir game Sunday against Boston was postponed because y couldn’t field minimum number of players.

76ers: Coach Doc Rivers said Ben Simmons had to be summoned back to New York after he tried to return to Philadelphia when team needed to stay an extra day for additional COVID-19 testing. “Obviously, that night we were all in disarray, a bunch of guys were ordering cars, because we all did think we could go back home,” Rivers said. “Ben was on his way, I called him and told him he couldn’t because of league protocols, and he just turned around and came back.” Simmons had five points, 12 assists and fouled out. ... Dwight Howard moved into 13th on NBA’s career blocked shots list.