Heading into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Miami Heat should expect the Philadelphia 76ers’ best punch – with or without Joel Embiid.
As the Eastern Conference semifinals have shifted to Philadelphia, there’s one thing that should be expected from the Miami Heat – and that’s the Sixers’ best punch, regardless of whether Joel Embiid plays or not.
Down 2-0 in the series, a Sixers loss would essentially eliminate the team – no team in NBA history has ever erased a 3-0 series deficit. If Philadelphia is going to crawl their way back into this series, Game 3 is going to be their best chance of doing so.
And the good news is that there’s at least an outside chance that Embiid will play. He was listed as “out” Thursday afternoon. However, if Embiid clears concussion protocol today, there’s a chance he could play tonight in Game 3.
The Sixers are currently listing Joel Embiid as out for Game 3, but there’s still progress that could be made to change his availability vs. Heat on Friday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 5, 2022
The Heat, on the other hand, is up 2-0 and will be looking for a knockout punch of their own in Game 3. And they could get a boost of their own as Kyle Lowry has been upgraded to “questionable” on the eve of Game 3.
Whether or not he actually plays remains to be seen, but one thing that we know is that he’s close. Perhaps even closer than Embiid is to playing.
Regardless, Game 3 is a pivotal game for the Heat as well. This is the moment where great teams often throw the knockout punch at their opponents. If Miami wins Game 3, this series is over. If it doesn’t end in a sweep, it would almost certainly end in Game 5 in Miami.
However, if the Sixers were able to pull out a win in Game 3, it could give this team just enough momentum that it could tie the series before it shifts back to Miami.
All Miami has done is won its two home games. That’s what a No. 1 seed is supposed to do.
After Philly’s Game 2 loss, James Harden told reporters that the series hadn’t started yet because a playoff series doesn’t start until a road team wins. In theory, that’s true.
However, should a road team win in Game 3, it would not only mark the start of the series but also echo the end of it. The Sixers are in a must-win situation in Game 3. The Heat is going to see their best shot – and effort – yet. It’ll be interesting to see how they are able to handle – and absorb – it.