Two of the best centers in the NBA today met Friday at the Sprint Center. Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid clashed in a preseason game, and it was intense.
Early in the first quarter of the contest, Embiid was aggressive and kept attacking the defense of Whiteside. Embiid's efforts led to three quick fouls on the Heat star.
Less than thirty seconds into the game, Whiteside received his first foul after getting tangled with Embiid during an inbound play. A few moments later, Embiid drew another foul from Whiteside as he drove to the basket.
Whiteside got called for his third foul as he tried to contest a shot from Embiid. After the whistle, the Cameroonian started to talk towards the Heat bench while pointing at his counterpart. It was just an exhibition, though it was entertaining to see these centers being physical and competitive.
Whiteside finished the game with seven points, three rebounds, one steal, and two blocks, in 11 minutes for Miami. Meanwhile, Embiid had five points, seven rebounds, one assist, with one block in 15 minutes of action.
Leading scorers
Aside from Hassan Whiteside and Joel Embiid, other prominent names stood out for each team. For the Miami Heat, the leaders were Dion Waiters, Bam Adebayo, and James Johnson who had 13 points apiece.
Jordan Mickey provided a double-double performance with 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, were led by a rookie and a veteran. Ben Simmons and J.J. Redick emerged for Philly with 19 points each. Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot and Nik Stauskas added 17 and 11 points respectively.
Heat versus Sixers
Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat will meet Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers four times in the 2017-18 NBA season. The first two games between these squads are going to take place at the Sprint Center on February 2 and 14. The next two will be at the American Airlines Arena on February 27 and March 8.
Many are expecting both franchises to contend in the new season.
The Heat did not add any prominent name last summer, though they have almost the same roster that barely missed the playoffs last season. Whiteside, Goran Dragic, and Dion Waiters are the leaders of the team. Meanwhile, the 76ers are banking on their young group of prospects that features the likes of Embiid, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, Robert Covington, and Markelle Fultz.
