5 surprises from the first weekend of the NBA playoffs

2. The Sixers routed the Heat… without Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid missed his team’s opening game as he continues to recover from an orbital fracture he suffered in late March. While the Sixers had won eight straight games without him — and 16 straight overall — going up against Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat figured to present a challenge.

That held true for the first half, where Miami took a 60-56 lead into the locker room at halftime. But with one savvy lineup adjustment from Sixers head coach Brett Brown, the Philadelphia faithful had plenty to cheer about in the second half, as the Sixers rode a 3-point barrage to a blowout 130-103 win over the Heat.

Brown’s decision to swap Ersan Ilyasova into the starting lineup for Amir Johnson paid immediate dividends. After Heat point guard Goran Dragic opened the second half with a 3-pointer to give Miami a seven-point lead, the Sixers surged ahead with a 23-3 run, taking advantage of Whiteside’s lethargic defense and reluctance to defend out to the 3-point line.

“I think that’s one of the strengths of us,” Ilyasova told reporters after the game. “With me and Dario and J.J. at the same time, we kind of create a lot of space. So I think it’s one of those things we have to kind of focus on when we’re playing big guys like Hassan, I think we can create an advantage offensively, especially with Ben.”

Johnson said Brown made the switch in part because he was better suited to guard Kelly Olynyk, who went off for 14 points in the first half. With Embiid ruled out for Monday’s Game 2, it begs the question of how Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra will adjust his rotations accordingly, provided Ilyasova remains in the Sixers’ starting lineup.

Next: 1. The Pelicans stole home-court advantage from Portland