Miami Heat

The Miami Heat began the second half of on a 48-28 run to roll to a Game 1 victory.

Then we just were able to get a little bit more organized in the second half and defensively we really picked up the intensity, but we did it with a little bit more thought and a little bit more discipline and then there were inspiring offensive rebounds and extra possessions. “If we keep them on their heels, they’re going to fold.” While Adebayo, Herro, Tucker and Vincent were rolling, Harden scored just four points on 1 for 4 shooting after halftime. That wasn’t surprising considering that with Jordan on the court this season, Philadelphia permitted 119.6 points per 100 possessions. Adebayo and Vincent each had eight points in the third. “We can beat this team,” forward Paul Reed said. That was P.J., Bam, both of those guys again were just terrific.” For a while, this was a night Miami missed Kyle Lowry’s playmaking and scoring, with Lowry still sidelined by a hamstring injury. “The turnovers, we were just a little bit disjointed. “They trapped, they pressed. Blitzed by a big Philadelphia run that gave the 76ers their first lead of the night just before halftime, the Heat raised its intensity - and its execution - to a far higher level in the third quarter, outscoring Philadelphia 18-7 to take an eight-point lead after three, and then stampeding the 76ers in the fourth. Meanwhile, the Heat’s defense, victimized off the dribble in the first half, stiffened in man-to-man and weaved in effective doses of zone to stymie the 76ers in the second half.

Jimmy Butler added 15 points for the top-seeded Heat, who got 10 from Gabe Vincent and P.J. Tucker. The 76ers were without Joel Embiid, the MVP finalist who isn ...

He then had two more in a 1:46 span of the third, giving him five fouls in 4:14 of playing time. Adebayo took a bullet pass from Tucker for a dunk that put Miami up 62-61, and that would be the final lead change of the night. Heat guard Duncan Robinson, who led Miami in games played for a third consecutive regular season, didn’t appear in Game 1. Miami went 1 for 9 from the field over the final 6 minutes of the half, with four turnovers in there as well, and Philadelphia went on a 15-4 spurt. ... Backup center Dewayne Dedmon picked up three fouls in a 23-second span of the first quarter. That was as good as it got for the 76ers.

With MVP candidate Joel Embiid on the sidelines for Games 1 and 2 of the upcoming series, the Miami Heat can see a path to the NBA Finals for the second ...

Philly managed to hold him to 1-of-11 shooting in one of those games, so keeping Butler at bay will help the Sixers stay alive. Miami is a versatile team offensively, with multiple shooters who can also score from beyond the three-point arc, so Erik Spoelstra's schemes from half-court that will force Philly to play tougher defence will be another area to exploit in order to take the series. Maxey has been filling that void for Philly a bit, but they need a more complete team effort in order to pull out a win. That ability is why Harris will likely draw the Butler assignment as Sixers head coach Doc Rivers tries to steal at least one win in South Beach. But he'll also be tasked with multiple defensive pairings due to Miami's ability to score. Tobias Harris. While what Butler does against his old team will be the key to a lot of Miami's success, the same can be said for Harris against the Heat — even if it doesn't look like it on the scoresheet. The Mavericks are in the second round for the first time since Dirk Nowitzki was their star. But both Embiid and Harden were sidelined in one of the Sixers' wins over Miami during the regular season, so being able to adapt to injuries will make or break Philadelphia against Miami. Even with their starters injured there is no shortage of talent on the Heat roster, which helped them secure the first-place seed in the East and a smooth ride to the conference semifinals. Harris was tasked with playing one of Toronto's best players, Pascal Siakam, and playing hard defence while still contributing on the offensive front, whether it be hitting jumpers when needed or his efficiency in transition. Whether you like him or not, it's easy to see how much Embiid impacts a game, and the Sixers will have to adjust accordingly. Finally getting to see Victor Oladipo on the floor (as well as Kyle Lowry's impact) has been huge on top of solidified stars like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Suns are coming off a wake-up call in Round 1.

The Miami Heat would be the better team against the 76ers, even if Embiid were going. Without him though, they are thin and Tyler Herro must devour them.

With that though, the Miami Heat will face off against a 76er team that will be without their best player, Joel Embiid, for, at least, the first two games of this series. That’s the biggest question they have to answer when it comes to this series. Though he could return by Game 3, he has to sit out for, at least, five days in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Former Miami Heat Hassan Whiteside is a distant memory for most South Florida sports fans. He left disgruntled after he was traded to the Portland Trail ...

“They say I’m the franchise player," Whiteside once said after a loss to the Orlando Magic. "I would think I should get more [touches], but I don’t know, man. "This isn’t Gobert or Whiteside. These guys can put the ball in the basket. They can hurt you in the paint with JaVale and Ayton," Kidd told reporters.

Jimmy Butler remains listed as questionable (as of 4:30 Eastern Time) for Game 1 of the second-round playoff series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami ...

- CHRIS PAUL MEETS WITH MEDIA AFTER GAME 6: The Phoenix Suns clinched their first-round playoff series with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 6 on Thursday evening. Butler joined the Heat in the summer of 2019, and they have made the playoffs in all three seasons; including making the NBA Finals in 2020. The Heat played the Atlanta Hawks in the first-round of the playoffs, and they won the series in just five games.

Without Joel Embiid's stifling defense and league-leading 30.6 points per game, the Sixers will need to adjust how they play on both ends of the floor ...

Harden figures to embrace more of a score-first mentality, but the bigger difference may be how the Sixers run their offense on a possession-by-possession basis. They're still underdogs to win the series, but a creative Embiid-less game plan could help them swing the outcome in their favor. Their main role will be to set hard screens and roll to the basket, where Harden and Maxey can set them up with close-range shot attempts. However, going from the G League to the second round of the NBA playoffs is like skipping from third grade to high school. None of the Sixers' backup bigs are potent long-range shooting threats, so the Heat will likely sag off them whenever they're on the perimeter. They'd leave themselves vulnerable to pick-and-rolls involving Adebayo, but it could be an option whenever Adebayo is off the floor. Jordan and Millsap were All-Stars in their primes during the mid-2010s, but they're far past that stage of their respective careers now. No one player will be able to replace Embiid on either end of the floor. The 6'7" Millsap will be giving up size against Heat center Bam Adebayo, but he could be an option if Miami ever downsizes with 6'5" forward P.J. Tucker at the 5. The Sixers have built themselves around Embiid on both ends of the floor. Bam [Adebayo] does a great job of that, Jimmy Butler may be the best at it in the series now without Joel, and Kyle Lowry does it. We just have to be very smart in how we plan our bigs."

Defeating the Miami Heat in the second round of the NBA playoffs without Joel Embiid will be a difficult task for the Philadelphia 76ers.

But he has never been the guy. Without Embiid, the Heat outrebounded the Sixers 47-37, including 15-9 in offensive rebounding. Until Embiid returns, Adebayo gives the Heat the edge inside. He had 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. The Sixers missed Embiid’s scoring, rebounding and defense. Sign up now!

(1) Miami Heat vs. (4) Philadelphia 76ers · When: Monday, May 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET · Where: FTX Arena -- Miami, Florida · TV: TNT | Live stream: TNT app · Odds: MIA - ...

He may return later in the series, but he definitely won't be available early on, and it will be up to the rest of Philadelphia's roster to step up. Specifically, James Harden will be expected to carry a much larger load on the offensive end, and it will be interesting to see how he handles that task. With the possibility that Embiid returns later in the series, the Heat won't want to waste an opportunity to secure a win while he's on the sideline. Heat: The Heat will have to overcome Kyle Lowry's absence in this game. After taking care of business against their respective opponents in the first round, the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers will square off against each other in the Eastern Conference semifinals for a chance to advance to the conference finals. The Heat took down the Atlanta Hawks in five games in the first round, while the Sixers dispatched the Toronto Raptors in six games.

The Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers will meet for a possible seven-game stretch to partake in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Sixers won't rule Embiid out for the entire series just yet, so there is a chance he could return and face Miami later on down the line. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there are no plans to have Embiid join the Sixers on the trip at this time. To Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, Embiid's upcoming absence is disappointing.