We have an Eastern Conference NBA matchup to consider for Thursday when the Miami Heat meets the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time this season and the second time in three days. Miami is 4-5 this season and fell to Philadelphia by a score of 137-134 in Philadelphia while the 76ers will be looking to sweep their two-game first-half series on Thursday.
Heat Fall in Overtime
Miami is struggling a bit and has lost three of their last five games but the three losses were by a combined total of 15 points. They are close but no cigar right now. Jimmy Butler has missed three of Miami’s first nine games and hasn’t seemed to find his legs yet this season. Tyler Hero leads Miami in scoring, averaging 17.7 points, Bam Adebayo leads Miami in rebounds with nine caroms and Goran Dragic leads the Heat with five assists per contest.
🔥 @iamgabevincent2 had himself a night
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 13, 2021
. . . and it's only the beginning.
24 Pts / 2 Rebs / 3 Asts / 2 Stls pic.twitter.com/8ChEyC7geH
The Heat hung in there until the end of overtime but fell to the 76ers thanks to a Dakota Matthias triple with 22 seconds left in their last contest. Hero led the way with 34 points with seven rebounds and four dimes, Duncan Robinson chipped in with 26 points while Gabe Vincent scored 24 points to lead Miami. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Avery Bradley all missed this one due to covid-19 protocols and their status is unclear for Thursday.
Miami plays at the tenth fastest pace while scoring an average of 113.3 points alongside allowing 112.7 points per game. The Heat has the seventh-best true shooting percentage and twenty-ninth in offensive rebounding percentage this season.
Matthias is a Hero
Philadelphia hired Doc Rivers to get the 76ers over the hump and so far the results have been good. Philadelphia is 8-4 on the season and has won two of their last five games. Joel Embid leads the team in scoring (26.6) and caroms (12.1) while Ben Simmons leads the team in assists (7.5). The 76ers have also received good play from Seth Curry, Shake Milton, and Tyrese Maxey.Dakota Matthias scored just three points on Tuesday but those three points ended up being the difference in the contest and a three-point overtime home win over Miami. Joel Embiid led the way with 45 points along with 16 rebounds and Danny Green added 26 points with six dimes. Ben Simmons scored just five points in his return from injury. Curry missed the game with protocol issues and his status remains unclear at this time.
The 76ers play at the fifth-fastest pace in the NBA this season and score an average of 113.4 points while allowing 110.9 points per game. Philadelphia ranks fourteenth in true shooting percentage and thirteenth in offensive rebounding percentage this season.
Team Trends
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Miami is:
- 11-2-1 ATS last 14 Thursday games.
- 6-2 ATS last 8 as an underdog.
Philly is:
- 1-4 ATS last 5 overall.
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