Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat will face each other in Sunday’s action of the NBA playoffs. The hosts want to build up on their latest performance and even the series with another win. The away side searches for the way back to the winning track to move the series home being ahead of their rivals.
Philadelphia is still active in this series after beating its rivals on Friday evening. The home side wants to pick up where it left off and reset the score. On the other hand, Miami’s winning streak ended after Game 3, and they look forward to improving their performance. A potential will could see the visitors just one win away from the conference finals.
Philadelphia 76ers – Can they even the series?
The 76ers had an adequate response for the two defeats in Miami since they managed to book a confident victory on the home court. Although it seemed they might waste their advantage after the third quarter, the hosts played excellently in the final period to secure a 99-79 win. Despite having seven turnovers more than their opponents, Philadelphia had a very good 47.8 field goal percentage. They also managed to hit 48.5% of their three-pointer attempts. Besides that, Philly controlled the paint, having nine rebounds more than their rivals. It was a solid performance, and they will search for a repeat in Game 4.
Joel Embiid has been the 76ers’ most productive player in the playoffs, scoring 25 points per game, followed by a team-high 11.3 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey averages 22.4 pts, 4.2 assists, and 3.7 rebs, while James Harden tops the assists charts with nine per contest, scoring 18.6 points. Tobias Harris is the last Philadelphia player that contributes to the offense with a double-digit number of points (18.2). On the other hand, Joel Embiid might make an appearance in this encounter since he is listed as questionable, while Isaiah Joe is also doubtful.
Expected Line-Up: Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, Paul Reed
with best odds
Miami Heat – Will they beat their rivals on the road?
The Heat had a bad offensive display on Friday evening that prevented them from going 3-0 up in this series. They scored only 79 points in Game 3 and will look forward to improving their shooting in this encounter. Miami scored only 35.1% of their field goal shots, while their shooting success from the three-pointer area remained at 23.3 percent. Although the Heat kept their number of turnovers to a reasonable amount, they were inferior in the paint with nine rebs less than their opponents. Miami kept the game close until the beginning of the final period, but they scored just 14 pts in the fourth quarter.
Jimmy Butler has dominated the Heat’s offense with 27.4 points per contest, while he also tops the assists and steals charts with 5.4 and 2.4, respectively. Tyler Herro scores 15.1 pts per match, while Bam Adebayo contributes to Miami’s offense with 14.8 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Victor Oladipo and Max Strus score 11+ points per game each during the playoffs. Regarding the selection issues, the Heat still has a long list of questionable players. Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, P.J. Tucker, Tyler Herro, and Dewayne Dedmon are among them.
Expected Line-Up: Victor Oladipo, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, Bam Adebayo
Expert Pick #1 – Miami Heat +2 @-110
The bookies started to favor the hosts after Embiid’s return, but the 76ers didn’t impress in the previous match. Although they celebrated a comfortable win, the main credits go to their defense and Miami’s poor shooting. I believe the visitors will improve their numbers in this one, and I’ll back them in an underdog role as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 207.5 @-110
Although the Under cashed very frequently for both teams lately, the margin is pretty low in the totals market for this encounter. I expect the Heat to be more productive on Sunday evening, while Philadelphia could also improve its shooting percentage. Therefore, I’ll take the Over as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Miami Heat Over 103.5 @-110
Consequently, I see the away side scoring more than 103 points in this match. They managed to accomplish that four times on the previous six occasions in Philly, and they should be more efficient than in Game 3. I’ll go with this one as my third pick at the same odds as the two above.
