Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers 5/6/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers Matchup Preview (5/6/22)

The Miami Heat (2-0) travel to play the Philadelphia 76ers (0-2) in Game 3 on Friday night. The Heat won 119-103 in Game 2 because their offense was firing on all cylinders. As a team, Miami had a 51/48/80 shooting split while outscoring the 76ers in every quarter. Jimmy Butler was everywhere on the court, as he produced 22 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals. Bam Adebayo added 23 points and 9 rebounds on 7/11 shooting. The bench provided excellent offensive firepower and won the bench battle 52-19. 6MOY Tyler Herro contributed 18 points to that total, and Victor Oladipo chipped in 19 points. In NBA history, 92.9% of teams up 2-0 have wound up winning the series. No team has ever blown a 3-0 lead, so the Heat will be in a commanding position should they win Game 3. Miami has taken this lead with starting point guard Kyle Lowry out due to injury. He is officially questionable for Game 3, and he may see a minutes restriction if he is good to go. Gabe Vincent will continue to start in his place if Lowry is unable to play. 

The 76ers once again struggled to perform on both ends of the court with Embiid out. They shot 8/30 (26.7%) from deep and didn’t clear 30 points in a quarter. Tyrese Maxey was phenomenal in Game 2 after a forgettable Game 1. He paced the 76ers in scoring with 34 points on 12/22 shooting. Tobias Harris had 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 9/17 from the field and 2/5 from three. James Harden produced 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists, but he was passive and shot a 40/20/100 shooting split. No other 76er outside of those three scored 10+ points. Danny Green particularly struggled, as he scored 3 points on 1/9 from deep. If Philadelphia is going to win this series, they need solid performances from role players on both ends. Joel Embiid has cleared concussion protocols, and he is questionable to play in Game 3. If he cannot play, the 76ers will likely start DeAndre Jordan again. 

Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers Betting Odds

The spread in the first two games was -7.5 Heat, but it is +3 76ers for Game 3. I like the Heat to cover this easily and take a 3-0 series lead. Embiid won’t be close to 100% if he plays, and the 76ers have looked awful without him on the court. James Harden has shown me clear signs of regression, and the bench is non-existent. Miami, meanwhile, is one of the deepest teams in the league who can adapt to any situation. There are a number of guys who can lead the team in scoring, which protects against a bad night from their stars. The 76ers need too many factors to cover this spread, so I am going with the Heat to cover every time here. Miami has won by 14 and 16 points, and I don’t see that radically changing in Game 3.

TV Schedule

Date: 5/6/22
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Arena: Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
Channel: ESPN

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Miami Heat Starting Lineup

PG: Kyle Lowry
SG: Max Strus
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: PJ Tucker
C: Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat Analysis

The Heat are shredding the 76ers defense through a balanced, precise attack. Bam Adebayo wasn’t a scorer against Atlanta, but he leads the team in scoring against the 76ers. Bam’s producing 23.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 3.5 APG on a 71.4 FG%. He’s bullying the 76ers in the paint and taking advantage of Embiid’s injury. The Butler/Bam pick and roll obliterated the 76ers defense because they cannot shade inside. If they do, the Heat have a stable of shooters waiting to launch from three. We saw this play out in Game 2. Philadelphia was often helping inside to compensate for poor rim protection, and Butler continuously found the open man for clean looks. Butler ended with 12 assists, and the Heat were 14/29 (48.3%) from three. Miami’s offense has the blueprint; they just need to execute the plan and continue their dominance in Game 3. 

Tyler Herro has shown up after struggling against the Hawks in the First Round. For the series, he is averaging 21.5 PPG, 4 RPG, and 5 APG on an incredible 55/63/85 shooting split. The 76ers bench has no answer for him because Herro breaks down their defense off the dribble. He is drawing the defensive attention, which leaves Oladipo in a great position to capitalize. Herro’s ability to score eases Butler’s offensive burden and allows him to not force it.  

Philadelphia 76ers Starting Lineup

PG: James Harden
SG: Tyrese Maxey
SF: Danny Green
PF: Tobias Harris
C: Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers Analysis

Where is James Harden? He vanished in the second half for both games, which crippled their offense. In the second half this series, Harden is a combined 2/9 on shot attempts. That passive approach to the game will not cut it against this elite Miami defense. Embiid is limited at best, so the 76ers need Harden to morph into a premier scorer, not facilitator. Maxey has admirably tried to fill in for Embiid, but he cannot do it by himself. Tobias Harris stepped up as a third scoring option, so the majority of the blame here has to be placed on Harden. He looks checked out at times and uninterested in the game itself. Until he shows some passion and fights for his playoff life, the 76ers look like a dead team walking. 

The other biggest problem is the abysmal center rotation. DeAndre Jordan looks completely outmatched by the Heat. In his 31 minutes during the playoffs, the 76ers have a plus minus of -53.4 per 100 possessions. Jordan provides nothing on either end of the court, and the Heat are abusing him in the pick and roll. Paul Reed is much younger and more athletic, but his inexperience causes him to commit fouls frequently. Reed cannot defend this Heat offense, and he only scored 4 points in 25 minutes during Game 2. Philadelphia doesn’t have a good option at center, and the defense quickly collapses every possession because of it. The 76ers arguably need Embiid’s defense more than his offense right now.