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Miami Heat vs Philadelphia Sixers - Full Game Highlights | Game 2 | April 16, 2018 | NBA Playoffs

If you're watching a replay of the Miami Heat's 113-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, you might be so blown away by Dwyane Wade's performance that you're wholly convinced this was a showing taking place right in the heart of his prime. 

The 36-year-old shooting guard wound up recording 28 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals while shooting 11-of-16 from the field and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. He was locked in on defense, bodied up against younger adversaries and constantly jumped into passing lanes on the perimeter. Wade even recorded a plus-16 when he was on the floor. 

Now, the series is tied up at a game apiece.

Dwyane Wade Sparks the Miami Heat Offense

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Dwyane Wade was the star of the night, and that's not a sentence we expected to write at this stage of the 2017-18 calendar. 

His first half was a throwback masterpiece, as he recorded 21 points. The Sixers were subjected to an endless barrage of mid-range jumpers and crafty plays within the half-court set, helpless while he made the most of his patented pump fake and slashing skills. Without Wade, Philadelphia might've been able to stay somewhat close on a rough offensive night, rather than spending the entire third and fourth quarters attempting to engage in a furious rally that fell just short after, at one point, closing the margin to two points. 

Sure, Wade didn't make much of an impact for lengthy stretches of the second half. But thanks to his first two quarters, he'd already put his teammates in a position to succeed. Playing with a double-digit advantage is a nice luxury for a deep team filled with veterans and an elite coach patrolling the sidelines. 

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Warriors vs Spurs Game 2 Postgame Analysis-Game Time-NBA PLayoffs 2018

Hats off to the San Antonio Spurs for their valiant effort in Game 2. A 116-101 loss is nothing to be ashamed of, particularly because they held a lead for so much of the proceedings and gave themselves some semblance of hope for a future victory. LaMarcus Aldridge was a phenomenal offensive presence, dueling as best he could with 34 points and 12 boards on 11-of-21 shooting from the field and a perfect 12-of-12 showing at the stripe.

Kevin Durant, who finished with 32 points, six rebounds and six assists, heated up, draining pull-up threes and getting to his spots so easily you could see the outlines of flames rising up from his jersey. The defense looked fully engaged, switching on screens and rotating seamlessly to contest perimeter jumpers after doubling down on LaMarcus Aldridge in the post.

After Durant went on his 13-point tear during the third quarter, Klay Thompson took over with his spot-up prowess to drop 16 in the fourth. You know, because you might as well use all the weapons in that deep arsenal. 

A 22-10 run against a Gregg Popovich-coached team is always special, especially because it came while Stephen Curry was watching from the sidelines and excitedly cheering for his comrades—sometimes before the shot swished through the net. It's just the latest evidence these Warriors still have that extra gear only available to special squads. 

Need a big stop? It could come from anywhere. Need buckets? Plenty of stars can go nuclear, and the deadliest of them is waiting to make his postseason debut until the second round. 

A locked-in version of Golden State remains terrifying, particularly to a Spurs squad devoid of the same levels of upper-tier talent.  Read More Here

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