Skip to content
Opinion
Link copied to clipboard

Sixers-Miami Heat preview: Looking to nab tiebreaker

A victory would give the Sixers a 3-1 series advantage over the Miami Heat.

The Sixers' Marco Belinelli and the Heat's Dwyane Wade eyeing a loose ball during the teams’ meeting Feb. 14.
The Sixers' Marco Belinelli and the Heat's Dwyane Wade eyeing a loose ball during the teams’ meeting Feb. 14.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer
    by Keith Pompey | Columnist
    Published 

76ers (35-28) at Miami Heat (34-31)

Thursday at 7:30 p.m., at AmericanAirlines Arena

Talking points

This matchup could have huge playoff-seeding implications. The Sixers have the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are seventh. The top eight teams at the end of the regular season advance to the playoffs. A victory would give the Sixers a three-game lead over Miami with 18 games remaining. It also would give them the two-team tiebreaker should they finish with the same record. That's because the Sixers have already won two of the previous three meetings.

How to watch and follow the game

  1. TV and streaming: NBC Sports Philadelphia

  2. Radio: 97.5 FM

  3. Twitter: @PompeyOnSixers

Starting lineups

Sixers (35-28)

33 Robert Covington SF 6-9  12.6 ppg. 5.5 rpg

9 Dario Saric PF 6-10  14.8 ppg. 6.9 rpg.

21 Joel Embiid C 7-2 23.6 ppg. 11.1 rpg.

17 JJ Redick SG 6-4  16.7 ppg. 3.2 apg.

25 Ben Simmons PG 6-10 16.5 ppg. 7.6 apg.

Coach: Brett Brown (fifth season, 110-281)

Injury report: Markelle Fultz (shoulder rehabilitation and working on his shot, out); Furkan Korkmaz (Lisfranc injury, left foot rehabilitation, out).

Heat (34-31)

22 Luke Babbitt SF 6-9  5.8 ppg. 2.0 rpg

16 James Johnson PF 6-8  10.1 ppg. 4.6 rpg.

21 Hassan Whiteside C 7-0 14.0 ppg. 11.9 rpg.

0 Josh Richardson SG 6-6  13.3 ppg. 3.4 rpg.

7  Goran Dragic PG 6-10 17.4 ppg. 4.9 rpg.

Coach: Erik Spoelstra (10th season, 474-313)

Injury report:  Dion Waiters (sprained left ankle, out).

Head to head

The Heat hold a 59-57 series advantage.

Coming games

Sunday: 7:30 p.m., at Barclays Center, Sixers vs. Brooklyn Nets

Tuesday: 7 p.m., at Wells Fargo Center, Indiana Pacers vs. Sixers

March 15: 7:30 p.m., at Madison Square Garden,  Sixers vs. New York Knicks

March 16: 7 p.m., at Wells Fargo Center, Nets vs. Sixers

March 19: 7 p.m., at Wells Fargo Center, Charlotte Hornets vs. Sixers