Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The Sixers are looking to regroup after dropping the first game of their second round series
• The Heat weren’t troubled by their injuries, easily putting away the Sixers in their first game
• The Heat lead the series 1-0

Sixers vs Heat Odds

The Philadelphia 76ers struggled against Miami’s tough defence in Game 1. Due to the production of their depth, the Heat project to win Game 2 as well.

Miami Heat def. Philadelphia 76ers

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Head-to-Head: Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat

Injury Report

How can the Sixers beat the Heat?

The Philadelphia 76ers certainly didn’t open the series in the way that they wanted to against the Miami Heat. Due to their lack of paint presence, they were unable to find their range from three.

In Game 1 against the Heat, the Sixers shot just 43% from the field and a paltry 17.6% from three-point range. James Harden has received much criticism, committing 5 turnovers on the night despite having lead playmaking responsibilities.

The Sixers need to find a way to establish an interior presence if they want to open up their three-point shooting game. The Heat are too strong defending the perimeter for the Sixers to limit themselves to just one tier of offence.

Sixers Key Player: (F) Tobias Harris

pic.twitter.com/FtNLYpWqGX

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 3, 2022

The Philadelphia 76ers struggled to open the series against the Heat. With their lack of size in the paint, their guards were unable to establish their paint attack. One player that excelled was veteran Tobias Harris.

One of the Sixers’ sole bright spots on the offensive side of the ball, Harris posted 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist in 36 minutes of play. He was efficient from the field, shooting 11 of 16 on the night despite only converting on 1 of 4 three-point field goal attempts.

Should the Sixers backcourt continue to struggle, Harris needs to be able to use his size in the paint to score. He won’t replace Embiid’s impact at the rim, but he showed in Game 1 that he can score in multiple ways.

How can the Heat beat the Sixers?

The Miami Heat lacked playmaking in Game 1 against the Heat, but they made up for it with timely shooting and some lockdown defence. If they hope to improve on their Game 1 performance, their starting five need to move the ball.

With Gabe Vincent stepping in for Kyle Lowry, the Heat’s individual playmaking talent is lacking. It was seen through their shooting, where they shot just 43.5% from the field and 25% from three, while assisting on 21 of their 40 field goals.

Tyler Herro led the Heat off the bench with 7 assists, but they were lacking through most of the game. To compete against the potential of the Sixers’ offence, the Heat need to find better shots with their ball movement. If combined with their defence, the Heat can easily go up 2-0.

Heat Key Player: (G) Tyler Herro

25 off the bench for Tyler Herro in the @MiamiHEAT Game 1 win ?#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/Vck8vA2qf3

— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2022

Tyler Herro struggled through the Miami Heat’s first round series, but he came out in Game 1 against the Sixers with a mission. Herro returned to his Sixth Man of the Year candidate form, creating massive issues for the Sixers.

In Game 1, Herro posted 25 points, 7 assists, and 1 rebound in 29 minutes of play off the bench. With the Heat playing a tight, 8-man rotation, Herro was able to get plenty of opportunities as both scorer and playmaker.

The Sixers will certainly key in on him to open Game 2, so Herro will need to show that his playmaking is on point. Fortunately, his 7-to-0 assist-to-turnover ratio in Game 1 is promising for the Heat.

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