Game Preview
No Joel Embiid. No party. The Philadelphia 76ers lost the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat (106-92 and 119-103). The big fella was expected to return for Game 3, but the Sixers confirmed he’s a no-go.
The one who did have a good time was Bam Adebayo. Miami’s center finished Game 1 with 24 points and Game 2 with 23. He’s just too much for veteran DeAndre Jordan to handle. Tyler Herro, recently named Sixth Man of the Year, is also having a great series. He’s averaging 21.5 points per game.
As for the Sixers, guard Tyrese Maxey had a great performance in Game 2 (34 points) but he can’t do it all. Philly’s bench only contributed 19 points. On the other hand, Miami’s bench contributed with 52 points.
Embiid’s absence wasn’t the Sixers’ only problem in Game 2. They shot 8-for-30 from the three-point line, making it 14-for-64 in the series.
“When it comes down to it, you’ve got to make shots, especially when you’re on the road against a really good team. It’s pretty simple,” James Harden said. The Beard isn’t wrong, but he’s among the players that haven’t met expectations. He now has 12 straight playoff games scoring less than 25 points.
Game 3 will be at Wells Fargo Center, where the Sixers own a 26-18 record. Due to Embiid not returning, Miami comes in as the NBA betting favorite by three points (-110). Erik Spoelstra’s team is 11-3-1 against the spread in its last 15 games on the road.
The total is set at 210 points (over/under -110). In this case, Embiid not playing could also have a huge impact. The total went under in five of Philadelphia’s last seven games. In addition to not playing the first two games against Miami, Embiid played the first-round series against the Toronto Raptors injured.
Regarding Miami’s injury report, Kyle Lowry (hamstring) remains questionable. However, it seems like they haven’t missed him.
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