NBA Play-In: Heat-76ers Preview, Props & Prediction
Wed Apr 17 1:35pm ET
Field Level Media
The Eastern Conference takes the stage Wednesday for the NBA's play-in round, with the Philadelphia 76ers playing host to the Miami Heat in the first game of the night.
The Sixers appear likely to have star Joel Embiid, who tweaked his left knee in a game last Friday, and Philadelphia (47-35) is a consensus 5.5-point favorite to dispatch the Heat (46-36).
TRENDING
The Sixers have been the popular pick at most sportsbooks. That includes BetMGM, where they have been backed by 76 percent of the spread-line money, and BetRivers, where they have drawn 59 percent.
Philadelphia's -225 moneyline at both books has been even more popular, with the 76ers backed by 73 percent of the money at BetMGM and 93 percent at BetRivers.
Prediction: With Embiid on the floor the 76ers are simply the superior team. However, this is the biggest spread of the play-in round thus far and Miami's veteran roster won't go down without a serious fight. -- 76ers 105, Heat 102
PROP PICK
Joel Embiid Over 29.5 Points (-134 at BetRivers): The same market at BetMGM is 30.5 points at -110, but we'll take the extra point at a lower payout because it could easily make the difference. While Embiid is averaging 34.7 points for the season, he's also dealing with the knee issue and Bam Adebayo is a difficult defensive counterpart.
The seven-time All-Star scored 29 points in Philadelphia's 109-105 victory over the Heat earlier this month.
INJURY REPORT
Embiid tweaked his left knee during the 76ers' win on Friday against the Orlando Magic, an injury that occurred in his just fifth game after being sidelined two months due to a torn meniscus.
After sitting out Sunday's regular-season finale, Embiid was on the court for the portion of Wednesday's shootaround open to the media and reportedly participated fully. That aligns with coach Nick Nurse's hope to have the reigning MVP available come game time.
"Yeah, hopefully," Nurse said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Not sure on anybody, but I'm hopeful."
Miami has its own injury concerns. Kevin Love exited the Heat's season finale on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors due to a left arm injury.
Terry Rozier (neck) and Duncan Robinson (back) have missed the last four games due to their respective injuries.
THE NEWS
Standing in Philadelphia's way on Wednesday is Jimmy Butler, or "Playoff Jimmy" as he's known at this time of the year.
Butler, who was traded from the 76ers to the Heat in the summer of 2019, has guided Miami to two NBA Finals appearances in the last four seasons.
The six-time All-Star averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals this season for the Heat, who won seven of their final 10 games.
Butler, however, was not interested in reflecting on last season's team that navigated its way out of the play-in tournament. Miami ousted the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, New York in six and Boston in seven before falling to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.
"We're not the same group as last year," Butler said, per the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "So we'll leave that where it's at and we're moving forward with the group that we do have.
"But we, I, are very confident in the guys we do have and we know what we're capable of."
Adebayo contributed 19.3 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.
UP NEXT
With a win, the 76ers likely can secure the Eastern Conference's seventh seed and set up a first-round series against the second-seeded New York Knicks. The loser of Wednesday's contest will play an elimination game on Friday against either the Chicago Bulls or Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed -- and the right to play the top-seeded Boston Celtics.
- NBA roundup: 76ers fend off Knicks in OT, keep season alive
- Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard out for Game 5
- Celtics F Kristaps Porzingis (calf) ruled out of Game 5
- Knicks F Bojan Bogdanovic out for remainder of playoffs
- Hobbled Heat rule out rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. for Game 5
- Clippers' Kawhi Leonard ruled out for Game 5 vs. Mavericks
- Pelicans VP laments Zion injury timing, vows 'urgency' in offseason
- Celtics' Brad Stevens named NBA Executive of the Year
- Bronny James, Zach Edey among 195 early NBA draft entrees
- 76ers' Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr. miss shootaround ahead of Game 5
- Darvin Ham, Lakers expected to part ways
- Post-op could mean Wolves' coach out for Game 1
- LeBron James undecided on future after Lakers' ouster
- NBA roundup: Jamal Murray, Nuggets KO Lakers
- Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis exits Game 4 with calf injury
- Anthony Edwards gets KD's endorsement as Wolves star rises to new level
- Spurs, Pacers to play two games in Paris in 2025
- Wolves coach Chris Finch needs knee surgery after collision
- NBA roundup: Wolves finish off sweep of Suns
- Thunder’s Mark Daigneault tabbed NBA Coach of the Year
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson had a team-high 40 points in Tuesday's overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He added six assists, three rebounds, and three steals. While Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 46 points, Brunson had another stellar performance. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough, with the series heading back to Philly for Game 6. Brunson has scored at least 39 points in each of his last three games, and he has an excellent chance to remain as dominant on Thursday night.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid had a triple-double in Tuesday's overtime win over the Knicks. Embiid's performance wasn't pretty, with the 30-year-old scoring only 19 points, by far his fewest of the series. While DFS managers appreciated his 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and four blocks, he still had nine turnovers. As usual, Embiid was favoring his knee during the contest. Although he'll likely appear on the injury report ahead of Game 6 on Thursday night, he should be on the floor. Embiid has played better at home during the series, including a 50-point showing in Game 3, meaning he has a good chance to turn things around.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 46 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to lead his team to an overtime win over the Knicks. He added nine assists and five rebounds. On a night when Joel Embiid struggled, Maxey put the Sixers on his back to keep the series alive. The 23-year-old easily had one of the best games of his career, so he'll try to keep it going in Game 6 on Thursday night. With that in mind, Maxey has played much better on the road during this series, so he could have trouble replicating his Game 5 performance.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (ribs) couldn't shake off a questionable tag for Tuesday's Game 5 battle against Orlando. He suffered a right rib contusion in Game 4. There were hopes of him being available on Tuesday, but Allen was ruled out after going through a warmup. Isaac Okoro started the game in his place. Evan Mobley has a huge role to play without Allen on the Cavaliers frontcourt, with Marcus Morris Sr. and Tristan Thompson working as his backups. Allen's first chance to return comes in Friday's Game 6.
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) will be good to go for Tuesday's Game 5 against Milwaukee. He's been dealing with lower back spasms, and the team initially had him as questionable for the game, but Haliburton has been upgraded to available. The two-time All-Star will look to register his third double-double of the series on Tuesday. He's averaging 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 10.0 assists in the playoffs.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) and guard Patrick Beverley (oblique) will play on Tuesday against Indiana. The team has upgraded both players from probable to available. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) on the shelf, the Bucks offense will lean heavily on Middleton, while Beverley will mostly fill defensive duties. The rest of Milwaukee's starting five also needs to step up for the team to avoid a fourth consecutive loss and elimination on Tuesday.
Milwaukee Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) have both been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. They were considered doubtful for the clash and unfortunately for Milwaukee, the team won't have either available on Tuesday. Bobby Portis and Malik Beasley will likely remain among the starters. The first unit should get massive minutes in the contest as the Bucks face elimination.
Dallas Mavericks guardLuka Doncic(knee) is listed as probable going into Wednesday's Game 5 matchup with the Clippers. Doncic has a sprained right knee after tweaking it in Game 4 on Sunday. However, the 25-year-old will likely suit up in a crucial Game 5 in LA. He has averaged 29.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists while shooting only 38.6 percent from the field across the series' first four games.
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (knee) has been upgraded from probable to available for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. He's ready to finish off the 76ers after being on the injury report with a right knee contusion. The Knicks star has posted 86 points and 23 assists across the last two games in the series, and he should be ready for another big performance in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd on Tuesday.
Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) will play in Game 5 against the Knicks on Tuesday. He skipped the morning shootaround due to an illness, which raised some questions regarding his availability for the contest, but the team has officially listed him as available. Oubre Jr. has shot a fantastic 46.2 percent from deep in the playoffs, but his scoring average has dropped to 12.0 points. Across 35.5 minutes of action, he's also notched 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 2.0 steals.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) will return to the lineup for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. The big man missed the previous game after hurting his surgically repaired left ankle. Robinson will continue to come off the bench behind Isaiah Hartenstein. He's averaged 20.0 minutes in the postseason, recording 3.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Hartenstein is the better option for DFS managers among the Knicks bigs. He's posted 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in the 2024 playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee, migraine) has officially cleared for action ahead of Tuesday's Game 5 against the Knicks. After being listed as questionable for the contest due to knee injury recovery, Embiid also missed the morning shootaround with a migraine. However, he's set to play as Philadelphia tries to fight off elimination on Tuesday. Embiid has racked up 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in the series, but he has a pretty bad history in elimination games. It will be interesting to see how well he copes with the situation at Madison Square Garden.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston Celtics centerKristaps Porzingis(calf) is expected to miss several games due to a right soleus strain. With likely an extended absence for Porzingis, 37-year-old veteran center Al Horford should move into the Celtics starting lineup. Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman will also see more minutes coming off the bench in Game 5 against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Clippers forwardKawhi Leonard (knee) won't play in Game 5 against the Mavs on Wednesday, according to NBA writer Marc Stein. Leonard has been dealing with inflammation in his right knee for a while. In Game 2, he was on the court for 35 minutes. However, he logged only 25 minutes in Game 3. There is no timetable on when the 32-year-old will return, meaning James HardenandPaul Georgewill need to step it up for the Clippers in Game 5.
Miami Heat point guardTerry Rozier(neck) will remain absent for Game 5 against Boston on Wednesday. The former Celtic is struggling to overcome neck spasms and has already missed 10 consecutive contests. With Rozier's extended absense Tyler Herro will continue to lead the Heat's backcourt in Game 5 after posting 19 points, four rebounds and four assists in 44 minutes during Game 4 on Monday.
Dallas Mavericks guard/forwardTim Hardaway Jr.(ankle) is ruled out for Wednesday's Game 5 with the Clippers. The 32-year-old will miss his third consecutive contest after spraining his right ankle in Game 2 of the opening-round series. Before the ankle injury, Hardaway averaged just three points and two rebounds in the series. Dante Exum, and Josh Green will likely see more playing time in Hardaway's absence.
New York Knicks guard/forwardBojan Bogdanovic(ankle) will have season-ending surgeries on his left foot and left wrist, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The veteran sharpshooter has been playing withligament damage in his left wrist, but he suffered a left foot injury during his first minute in Game 4 on Sunday against the 76ers. He averaged 16.7 minutes in the series' first three games before lasting only 1:11 on Sunday. In Game 4, Precious AchiuwaandMiles McBride were effective in helping the Knicks win. They should continue to see an uptick in minutes, especially with Bogdanovic out.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams had a fantastic all-around performance on Monday against New Orleans as the team completed a first-round sweep with a 97-89 road victory. Williams tied Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for most points in the contest with 24, grabbed eight rebounds, and tallied four assists, two steals, and one block. The 23-year-old Santa Clara product has been hugely impressive in his first postseason campaign. He's averaging a team-high 1.8 steals and also sits among the Thunder leaders with 21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo racked up 25 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists Monday versus Boston, but his efforts weren't enough as a 102-88 loss sent Erik Spoelstra's team to the brink of elimination. Adebayo did the damage with 11-for-22 shooting. The Heat big man has gone for 20-plus points in all four games in the series, and he boasts two double-doubles, but Jimmy Butler (knee) is a huge loss to the team, and Miami needs to pull off something special to survive in Game 5 on Wednesday. Adebayo will enter the action averaging 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists for the series. Strangely, he hasn't yet registered any defensive stats this postseason.
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White led the charge in Monday's Game 4 against Miami, scoring a career-high 38 points in a 102-88 win. He nailed eight three-point bombs with 15 attempts and shot 15-for-26 overall. As usual, White also made himself useful defensively and produced Boston's only three blocks of the game. He wrapped up his line with four rebounds and three assists. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown generally grab the headlines in Boston, but White once again demonstrated how well this Celtics team is built. He's been effective throughout the series, averaging 21.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks with 47 percent shooting from downtown.