Apr 14, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) brings the ball up the court against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Heat and 76ers Clash in in Play-In Tournament

Alexander Vafeas April 17, 2024 Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Playoffs 218 Views

The NBA play-in continues tonight with the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat taking on The Philadelphia 76er’s. The two teams have faced off four times this season with Miami taking the first two matchups and Philly taking the second two.

Win and You’re In

The Heat have rallied around the “win and we’re in” mantra as they look to avoid missing the playoffs just a season removed from an NBA Finals appearance. Making a deep playoff run, despite having to fight to get in, is not out of the question for Miami, however. The Heat were also a play-in team last season, losing to Atlanta before beating Chicago to earn a seat at the playoff table. This year, Miami will have to travel north and beat Philadelphia to avoid the stress of another win-or-go-home game.

Philly Finding a Groove

The 76ers are rolling coming into Wednesday night’s game. Philadelphia has won all of its last eight matchups by an average of 12.65 points. The resurgence in Philly’s game is do in large part to the return of 22-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid. Embiid, who was out with a knee injury for over two months, has shined in his last five game, averaging over 30 points and nine rebounds in that stretch. The 2014 third overall pick will have to stay health regardless of the outcome if the 76ers want any shot of making a run this postseason.

Philly has had outside help this season, in the form of fan engagement. The 76ers announced on X (formerly known as Twitter) Monday that every regular season home game was sold out this season.

What’s Next

The winner of tonight’s game will get the privilege of facing the second seeded New York Knicks Saturday. The Knicks have shined this year, recording their best season in nearly a decade. The loser will face the winner of tonight’s Bulls vs. Hawks matchup. Whoever wins Friday’s contest will face the buzzsaw known as the 2024 Boston Celtics. The No. 1 seed has put together a stellar season, losing only 18 games all year. Boston is the betting favorite sitting at +165 to win it all per FanDuel Sports Book.

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About Alexander Vafeas

Alexander Vafeas is a second-year Sports Journalism student at the University of Florida. When not writing about high school sports for WRUF, Alexander works as a communications intern with the University of Florida Athletic Association.

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