Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers will square off again at FTX Arena for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Erik Spoelstra's team made a big statement and made the most of Joel Embiid's absence in the first game of the series, with Bam Adebayo eating DeAndre Jordan alive on every single possession.
Now, Doc Rivers will need to dig deep into his bag of tricks to try and cope with their glaring issues at the center position as he looks to avoid falling to a 0-2 hole vs. the first seed in the East.
Heat Want To Make A Statement
The Miami Heat want to prove that their trip to the NBA Finals wasn't a bubble-induced fluke. They're a gritty, strong, physical team that can match up perfectly against virtually anybody, and they don't take their foot off the gas when they smell blood.
Erik Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the game and will look to exploit Embiid's absence on every possession again. He's not known for blowing big leads and there's no wonder why the Heat are 8.5-point favorites for this game.
Can James Harden Bounce Back?
It seems like it was decades ago when James Harden was the most unstoppable scorer in the NBA. He's been a shell of himself this season and it seems like he's lost his explosiveness and quick first step.
Harden scored just 16 points in Game 1 and has a reputation of underperforming when it matters the most. Now, the big question is whether he'll be able to bounce back and silence his critics.
Key Stats, Trends, And Injuries
Once again, the Philadelphia 76ers will have to get by without their best player in Joel Embiid, who expects to be back for Games 3 o 4. The Miami Heat, on the other hand, will be without Kyle Lowry, who continues to nurse a hamstring injury.
When it comes to trends, it's worth noting that the 76ers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600, and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall. Also, Under is 5-0 in 76ers' last 5 Conference Semifinals games, and 5-1 in 76ers' last 6 overall.
Picks For Sixers At Heat
This has the makings of a low-scoring game. Neither team likes to push up the pace or is a trigger-happy squad from beyond the arc, and the Miami Heat take a lot of pride in their defense.
Also, we expect the home team to jump to an early lead and hold on to it for most of the game. Then again, we think the Sixers will make it close and cover the 8.5-point spread on their trip to South Florida.
]]>The Inquisitr
