Have we seen Dwyane Wade’s last game in South Beach as a Miami Heat after his team lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 on Saturday, 106-102? No one knows that for sure, but Wade and the Heat will look to extend their life this postseason as they take on the Sixers in Game 5 this Tuesday. The prospects don’t look that great for the Heat at the sportsbook, as they are now (at press) 9.5-point underdogs, the longest odds they’ve held all postseason.
Despite the loss in Game 4, the Heat should feel a little bit encouraged with the improved performance from Hassan Whiteside, who had 13 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes on Saturday. He also did a more pleasant job defending against Sixers center Joel Embiid, as Whiteside helped limit Embiid to only 14 points. Embiid also had eight turnovers. Where the Heat hurt themselves was at the free throw line, as Miami converted just 13 of their 25 attempts from the foul line. Clearly, their horrid free throw shooting was the single biggest factor for their Game 4 loss. Other than that, the Heat were terrific on defense, as they forced Philly to commit 27 turnovers converting them to 30 points.
Even with an utterly excessive number of turnovers, the Sixers somehow found a way to win in Game 4. That’s largely because they played solid defense on Miami, too. They returned the favor to the Heat by limiting Miami to just 43.6 percent shooting from the field. They also controlled the glass, outrebounding Miami, 57-43. Then there’s Ben Simmons, who had a triple-double of 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Simmons is averaging 19.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game in this series. Having stolen a win in Miami, the Sixers will head back home with the momentum and in prime position to close out the series.
The Sixers boast a 7-3 ATS record in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction:
Miami wins and extends the series to a sixth game, 105-101.
