The Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat are two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference so when they matchup on Wednesday, it promises to be an exciting game. However, the focus will once again be on the second game back in Philadelphia for former Sixers forward Jimmy Butler.
Butler and the Heat have already made a trip to Philadelphia this season, a rather easy 113-86 win for the Sixers, but with both teams rested after they were both on a back-to-back, it should be a better game.
With that being said, it’s time for the complete guide to this one:
How to watch Sixers vs. Heat
- Date: Wednesday, December 18
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
- TV: ESPN, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Injury Report
- Sixers: NONE
- Heat: OUT: Goran Dragic(right groin strain), James Johnson(personal reasons), Dion Waiters(team suspension), Justise Winslow(lower back strain)
Storylines
Richardson credits Heat
Before he became the Sixers starting shooting guard, Josh Richardson was a second-round pick of the Heat in the 2015 draft. There, he worked his tail off and he became a legitimate NBA rotational player and he was a key member of Heat playoff teams in 2016 and in 2018. He gives the Miami staff a lot of credit for his development and where he is as a player currently.
“A lot,” he said at practice on Tuesday. “Just giving me confidence, giving me an opportunity to play early, and working with me every day. Chris Quinn, he and I worked very closely from my time there and I still keep in contact with him. I consider him a friend outside of basketball but working at it every day. He encouraged me to shoot threes off the dribble my last year there so that’s another part of my game that I can bring.”
Sixers need to grow Simmons’ perimeter game
Ben Simmons is unquestionably one of the better players in the league. However, the lack of a jump shot continues to be a storyline with him and it will continue to be one until it’s fixed. For the Sixers to succeed in the playoffs, they will need him to show some semblance of a jump shot and it is something that is on the mind of coach Brett Brown.
“I spend so much with Ben talking about spacing,” said Brown. “This is an ongoing discussion that we have been having and it’s not as clear or as simple when you digest the tape, you see what he sees. There are times when he just eats space and doesn’t accept space, he uses the space to play downhill and the bottom line is, we need to grow his perimeter game.”
Prediction
The Sixers are coming off a loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, but that was on the road. Now, they come home and they will be highly motivated to want to put on a better performance. This is a much different team at home and it’s a team that just gets it done at home. With Joel Embiid returning to the floor, they should be able to put on a more dominant defensive performance and play well enough to win this one.
Pick: Sixers pull away late
Sixers vs. Heat season series
Game 1 November 23: 113-86 Sixers
Game 2 December 18:
Game 3 December 28:
Game 4 February 3:
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