Heat 114 - 96 76ers
Final
  for this game

Sixers stage home opener versus Heat

Nov 1, 2014 - 2:07 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - For one night the Miami Heat proved they can win without LeBron James and they'll go for another 2-0 start Saturday with a visit to Philadelphia.

The Heat handed the Washington Wizards a 107-95 setback Wednesday in South Beach, as Chris Bosh muscled his way to 26 points and 15 rebounds. Bosh made nine of his 18 attempts from the floor for Miami, which made 48.1 percent for the game and received a career high 23 points from Norris Cole.

"It's one game. We need to stay focused on what we need to do as a team and individually," said Bosh, who scored 16 points in the second quarter and signed a five-year $118 million deal in the offseason to remain in Miami.

Bosh enters Saturday just one 20-point game shy of tying Shaquille O'Neal for the eighth-most in team lore.

Dwyane Wade had 21 points and Luol Deng 12 in his Miami debut.

Josh McRoberts, Udonis Haslem and Danny Granger all sat out the season opener with various injuries. The availability off all three is unknown for Saturday, but all are expected to be active. McRoberts, a free-agent signing in the offseason, is listed as probable.

After visiting south Philly, the Heat will return home for two games versus Toronto and Houston.

The 76ers dropped to 0-2 Friday night, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center in a battle of the teams with the worst records in the NBA last season.

Philly suffered a 93-81 setback in Milwaukee's home opener, but the Sixers had chances. The Sixers failed to score a single point in the final 8:21, missing all 13 of their shots and turning the ball over four times.

"We missed a lot of shots ... We just couldn't score," Sixers head coach Brett Brown said.

Nerlens Noel posted his first career double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 boards for the Sixers, who lost at Indiana in their first game of the year Wednesday night.

"I stayed within myself and looked to take better shots," said Noel, who struggled to six points in his NBA debut on Wednesday.

Hollis Thompson was the 76ers' leading scorer with 15 points against the Bucks. Tony Wroten also posted 14 points, but a technical foul in the fourth quarter hurt the team. Rookie K.J. McDaniels managed 12 off the bench.

Miami lost to Philadelphia, 114-110, last Oct. 30, then evened the series with a 101-86 victory on Jan. 17. The Sixers took the series thanks to a 100-87 win on April 16, but Miami is still 16-2 in the last 18 games between the teams.

The Heat have won eight of their last nine at Philadelphia.






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