The Miami Heat drew first blood in the series with a 106-92 in Game 1 over the Philadelphia 76ers. Will the Heat continue sizzling? Or will the Sixers tie it all up in Game 2? Check out our preview below of this Sixers vs. Heat 2022 NBA Playoffs game.
Life without Joel Embiid is hard for the Sixers. Without Embiid, Philly simply did not have enough to keep in step with Miami in the series opener. That being said, the Sixers had their moments in Game 1. Tobias Harris stepped up and led all scorers with 27 points. Embiid is not going to be around again in Game 2, so the challenge for Harris is to sustain that form while hoping that James Harden wakes up. Harden scored 16 points in Game 1 but was just 5/13 from the field while recording 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Harden is definitely capable of putting up a much better performance, which the Sixers expect of the former league MVP in Game 2. Philly shot just 6/34 in Game 1, but that’s bound to get a bump, as the Sixers are shooting 37.4 percent from behind the arc so far in the playoffs.
The Sixers are 7-2 against the spread in their last 9 games as a road underdog.
The Heat capitalized on the absence of Embiid. Without the hulking Sixers center, Miami was able to outrebound the Sixers (47-37) and gain a huge advantage on the possession battle; the Heat came away with 13 more shots than Philadelphia. That could likely be the story again in Game 2, as Embiid is not expected to return just yet. That would be terrific news for Bam Adebayo, who scored 24 points on 8/10 shooting with 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Miami missed the services of Kyle Lowry in Game 1 because of left hamstring soreness, but Tyler Herro picked up the slack and fired 25 points off the bench. Jimmy Butler scored just 10 points on 9 shots, but provided excellent perimeter defense that helped slow down Harden. Miami is humming and that’s scary for a hurting Sixers squad.
The Heat are 10-2 against the spread in their last 12 playoff games as a favorite.
