The Philadelphia 76ers came away with a victory against the Miami Heat in the Play-In and will be facing the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. The Sixers will be the seven seed going up against the East’s two seed, but still have a glimmer of hope in making a run. Games one and two will be played in New York on Saturday and Monday. Philadelphia hosts games three and four on Thursday and Sunday. If necessary, games five, six, and seven are on Tuesday, Thursday, then Saturday, alternating between New York and Philadelphia, respectively.
Batum Shines in Play-In Match Versus Heat
Last night, the 76ers narrowly escaped the Play-In Tournament, defeating the Heat 105-104. This crucial win kept the Sixers from having to face the East’s behemoth Boston Celtics. After trailing by 12 at the half with no seeming answer to Miami’s incredible zone defense, Philadelphia managed to pull off the comeback in the second half. This was largely in part to Nicolas Batum turning back the clock in a two-way stellar performance off the bench. He finished with 20 points, five rebounds, and a key, late block on 6-10 shooting from three. Of course, Joel Embiid chipped in too with 23 points and 15 rebounds, to combat Tyler Herro‘s 25 points. In the end, the Sixers came out victorious, leaving the Heat to fight for a playoff spot against the Bulls.
First Round Preview Against the Knicks
New York is no joke as the Eastern Conference’s two seed, but the 76ers can also make a case as one of the East’s best with Embiid on the court again. Philadelphia has been 31-8 when Embiid has played. So for New York, their best bet is to up the pace, despite being last, to tire the big man and take advantage of him off the floor. However, the 76ers have their own problem to worry about in Jalen Brunson. While they have no elite perimeter defender, the rotation of Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Batum should be able to limit him fairly well. It is also to Philadelphia’s benefit that Julius Randle is hurt, leaving the Knick’s second-hand-man as Josh Hart. Ultimately, this series feels evenly matched and should be one of the better first round matchups, but my personal pick is Sixers in seven.
