Miami Heat

The second-round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat have had multiple notable players dealing with injuries. On the Sixers' side, ...

The All-Star guard missed the final two games of Miami's first-round series against Atlanta as a result. While his return is not a sure thing at this time, Lowry would indeed offer the Heat a boost if he does get cleared for action ahead of tip-off. On the Sixers' side, their star center Joel Embiid has been battling numerous significant setbacks.

The Miami Heat have dominated Philly through two games of their series so far. However, Joel Embiid could return for Game 3, making things interesting.

That’s a question that won’t be answered until you see him take the court. Again though, the question is how much of himself can you expect him to be? The Miami Heat, for the most part, have dominated the Philadelphia 76ers through two games.

Heading into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Miami Heat should expect the Philadelphia 76ers' best punch - with or without Joel Embiid.

If it doesn’t end in a sweep, it would almost certainly end in Game 5 in Miami. And they could get a boost of their own as Kyle Lowry has been upgraded to “questionable” on the eve of Game 3. Down 2-0 in the series, a Sixers loss would essentially eliminate the team – no team in NBA history has ever erased a 3-0 series deficit.

The latest on the statuses of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry entering Game 3 of their second-round playoff series.

“We expected Philly to be at full health at some point and we want to take on that kind of challenge.” But the Heat is receiving its own boost in the form of Lowry’s return. He’ll wear a protective mask in Game 3 and likely the rest of the series for his orbital fracture. “We started before Game 1 with that process before we knew that he would for sure be out. Miami outscored Philadelphia by 56.7 points per 100 possessions with Jordan on the court. Embiid was listed as doubtful for Game 3.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid inspired the 76ers with his return from a facial injury, Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey each scored 21 points and Philadelphia ...

... Maxey was scoreless in the first half. Embiid -- who led the 76ers with 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds this season -- effected Game 3 just by his presence. Embiid had a laugh, though, after the game on social media. Embiid said he was cleared a day earlier and just the hope he could play had Philly buzzing. The Heat went 4-0 without the former Villanova star. Embiid wasn’t the dominant force he was throughout the season and tired as the game went on. When Sixers public address announcer Matt Cord announced “there are no injuries” on the pregame report, Sixers fans went wild. Butler led the Heat with 33 points. Tyler Herro, though, had two critical 3s of his own in the final minute and pulled the Heat to 68-65 to close the third. Even Rivers couldn’t draw up a plan that included the play that helped put away the game: Maxey made a full-court sprint to save a basketball with an over-the-shoulder toss. “It's been like that for his entire career.” Wearing a hammer-tested mask, Embiid had 18 points and 11 rebounds after missing the first two games of the series with a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion suffered in the last round.

The Miami Heat have updated their injury report as of 11:30 Eastern Time for Game 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Devin Booker had 30 points in Game 2, and he spoke to the media postgame.CLICK HERE. They beat the Atlanta Hawks in the first-round in just five games (the only game they lost was by just one-point), and have won both of their games the 76ers by double-digits. The Heat currently have a 2-0 lead in the series, so all of the pressure is on Philadelphia to avoid an 0-3 hole.

The Miami Heat dropped Game 3 to the 76ers in Philadelphia. However, it took one of their worst performances of the year to do it by only scoring 79 points.

Now, the Miami Heat must dig in and counter. Besides, with the series shifting to Philly, them losing the way they had in the first two games, and Embiid’s return, they were bound to throw a heavy punch riding high off of all of that themselves. Even still though, the Miami Heat had a chance to win this game.

After missing the first two games of the Philadelphia 76ers' Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Miami Heat, Joel Embiid returned on Friday ...

That is understandable as Embiid is dealing with multiple injuries, is wearing the mask and and had more than a week off. Still, he’s eager for Sunday’s Game 4 and the rest of the playoffs. Embiid got off to a strong start offensively, scoring 7 points in the first quarter on 2 of 4 field goals and 3 of 4 free throws. Green and Maxey each had a team-high 21 points, with all of Maxey’s points coming in the second half. “I don’t think he gets enough credit how good of a defensive player he is and how much he helps us. Embiid didn’t travel to Miami for the first two games. The big fella, Bam (Adebayo), was dominating, I was really pissed off watching that other big man go play well against my team.” He helped hold Heat All-Star center Bam Adebayo to 9 points on 2 of 9 shooting. At 6:19 p.m. on Friday, Joel Embiid walked out of the Philadelphia 76ers’ locker room and on to the Wells Fargo Center floor, his status for the night’s game against the Miami Heat still in question, at least publicly. He had to wear one during the 2018 postseason after sustaining an orbital fracture late in that regular season when he collided with teammate Markelle Fultz. Back then, Embiid sat out 22 days before returning to the court. He has also been playing with a torn ligament in his right thumb that is likely to require surgery once the season ends. He’s the MVP for a reason.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid spent the week groggy from a concussion. His busted thumb needs surgery. MVP form? Not yet. But Embiid wore his black mask ...

... Maxey was scoreless in the first half. Embiid -- who led the 76ers with 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds this season -- effected Game 3 just by his presence. Embiid had a laugh, though, after the game on social media. Embiid said he was cleared a day earlier and just the hope he could play had Philly buzzing. The Heat went 4-0 without the former Villanova star. Embiid wasn’t the dominant force he was throughout the season and tired as the game went on. When Sixers public address announcer Matt Cord announced “there are no injuries” on the pregame report, Sixers fans went wild. Butler led the Heat with 33 points. Tyler Herro, though, had two critical 3s of his own in the final minute and pulled the Heat to 68-65 to close the third. Even Rivers couldn’t draw up a plan that included the play that helped put away the game: Maxey made a full-court sprint to save a basketball with an over-the-shoulder toss. “It's been like that for his entire career.” Wearing a hammer-tested mask, Embiid had 18 points and 11 rebounds after missing the first two games of the series with a right orbital fracture and a mild concussion suffered in the last round.

A giant human being with all the basketball skills and moves you ever did want to see, Embiid is a matchup problem whenever he's on the floor. That's the gist ...

If Games 1 and 2 are of any indication though, they’ll be ready. That’s the gist of what could possibly be before them for Game 3 of this series though. Dominating Games 1 and 2, by the end of them, the Miami Heat haven’t been challenged this series as they could be with Joel Embiid going for Philly.

Earlier this week, Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. It marked the first time a Heat player won the award.

“I want to be an All-Star next year or two, just continue to get better,” Herro told reporters shortly after winning the award. Game 3 is Friday at Wells Fargo Center. The Heat lead the series 2-0. The website Deadspin pointed out he is the first white American-born player to win a league award in a decade.