76ers advance to play Heat in second round. How the teams, players matched up this season
The fates of the Heat and Philadelphia 76ers have been inexorably linked in recent years; the 76ers eliminated Miami from the playoffs four seasons ago, and Miami built this roster around a player - Jimmy Butler - acquired from the 76ers via a 2019 sign-and-trade.
But when the teams open their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Monday at FTX Arena, it will mark the first time that the franchises will meet this late in the playoffs.
They’ve matched up in postseason only twice before, with Miami winning in the first round in 2011 and the 76ers taking their first-round series in 2018.
Philadelphia clinched a spot in the second round by winning at Toronto 132-97 on Thursday night, winning that series 4 games to 2.
The Heat and 76ers meet Monday and Wednesday in Miami, with both games set for 7:30 p.m. Games 3 and 4 will be next Friday and Sunday in Philadelphia, with Friday’s game set for 7 p.m. and Sunday’s game time undetermined.
TNT will have exclusive coverage of the first two games of the series, and ESPN will carry the third. No start times were immediately announced.
Game 5, if needed, would be Tuesday, May 10, in Miami. Game 6, if needed, would be Thursday, May 12, in Philadelphia.
Exactly one day will be skipped between every game in this series with one exception: There would be two off days before a potential Game 7 on Sunday, May 15 at FTX Arena.
The Heat and 76ers split four games this season.
Miami won the first and third meetings: 101-96 and 99-82.
The 76ers won the second and fourth matchups: 109-98 and 113-106. Both teams won one game in the other’s arena.
James Harden didn’t play in either game against the Heat after his acquisition from the Nets.
He struggled for much of the first round against Toronto, averaging 9.2 points on 25 for 67 shooting - with 18 turnovers - over the first five games of the series, before playing exceptionally well (22 points, 15 assists) in Thursday night’s series-clinching win against the Raptors.
For the Heat, everything begins with slowing All Star center and MVP finalist Joel Embiid, who averaged a league-high 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds this season.
Embiid averaged 23.7 points and 13.7 rebounds against Miami, appearing in three of the four games.
The Heat had difficulty slowing guard Tyrese Maxey, who attacked Tyler Herro and others off the dribble in their most recent meeting. Maxey averaged 21.3 points and shot 56.4 percent from the field against the Heat.
Tobias Harris averaged 19 points against the Heat on 51.7 percent shooting.
But the 76ers shot only 32 percent on threes against Miami this season, with Embiid’s 1 for 14 dragging down that number.
Philadelphia has been starting Embiid, Harris, Danny Green, Maxey and Harden.
The Heat’s leading scorer against the 76ers this season?
Gabe Vincent, who averaged 21 points in two games.
Jimmy Butler appeared in three of the games, averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 assists.
Bam Adebayo appeared in only two games against Philadelphia, averaging 14 points and 9.5 rebounds.
Caleb Martin played well in three games against Philadelphia, with seven steals and 15 for 20 shooting.
Kyle Lowry shot just 36.1 percent in three games against Philadelphia (13 for 36), with 18 assists and 10 turnovers.
And Herro, in three games, averaged 15.7 points, less than his 20.7 point regular season average.
TNT’s Charles Barkley gives the Heat the edge because “Philly doesn’t play hard all the time. Miami plays hard all the time.”
THIS AND THAT
There was optimism that Butler - who missed Tuesday’s close-out game against Atlanta with knee inflammation - would have been ready to play had the Heat played on Thursday. Lowry, meanwhile, continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury.
The Heat resumes practicing Friday after two days off.
Martin, who played through what appeared to be a wrist injury on Tuesday, said: “I actually just got hit in my funny bone in a pretty sensitive spot. So I just had a shooting pain and burning sensation all the way up my arm, and it just lasted for a couple minutes. It kind of wore off as the second half started. I’m good.”
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 9:34 PM.
