PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 18: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center on December 18, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat will be up against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
The Miami Heat made light work of Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks in their first-round series. Their defense has been absolutely sensational, and they have a very deep roster. As a result, they are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, as they look to face the 76ers next.
Philadelphia 76ers on the other hand looked in good control against the Raptors but lost two straight games which gave them a scare. Coming against this Miami defense won’t be an easy task for them, and with Embiid possibly destined to miss the start of the series, the task got even tougher for Philly.
Miami:
| PLAYER | POSITION | UPDATED | INJURY | INJURY STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Lowry | PG | Sat, Apr 30 | Hamstring | Game Time Decision |
| Jimmy Butler | SF | Sat, Apr 30 | Knee | Game Time Decision |
| P.J. Tucker | PF | Fri, Apr 29 | Calf | Game Time Decision |
| Caleb Martin | SF | Fri, Apr 29 | Ankle | Game Time Decision |
| Tyler Herro | PG | Fri, Apr 29 | Illness | Game Time Decision |
76ers:
| PLAYER | POSITION | UPDATED | INJURY | INJURY STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Embiid | C | Fri, Apr 29 | Face | Expected to be out until at least May 4 |
| Charles Bassey | C | Thu, Apr 28 | Shoulder | Game Time Decision |
With Joel Embiid set to miss the start of the series, all the pressure of the world will be on James Harden. The 76ers traded him from the Brooklyn Nets for such type of situations only. His legacy will be tarnished if he doesn’t step up and perform well for his team in this series against a solid defensive unit like Miami, which is definitely going to cause many problems for him.
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