Eastern Conference play-in game No. 7 vs. 8 is set.
In a battle between two teams you wouldn’t expect in the Play-In Tournament, the 76ers will host the Heat in Philadelphia with the No. 7 seed on the line. The winner will face the No. 2 Knicks in the first round of the Playoffs NBA 2024 while the loser will face the winner of the Play-In game of the No. 9 Bulls against the No. 10 Hawks.
The 76ers made a valiant effort to secure a top-six finish in the East after star center Joel Embiid returned from injury, riding an eight-game winning streak heading into the playoffs. The top six teams haven’t moved, however, and that will allow Philadelphia to face the defending Eastern Conference champion Heat.
This is familiar territory for Miami, which qualified for the playoffs via the Play-In Tournament last year. Will the Heat make a similar Cinderella run or will the 76ers continue their momentum and secure their playoff spot?
The Sporting News previews the match below.
MORE: Bulls vs Hawks play-in game: predictions, odds, key matchups to know
76ers vs. Heat Prediction
Prediction: the 76ers win
Philadelphia wouldn’t have gotten close to the Play-In tournament if not for Embiid’s knee injury.
The 76ers were 29-16, sitting in third place in the East before Embiid went down. They went 12-18 in 30 games without the reigning MVP, falling out of the conference’s top six.
Philadelphia didn’t lose a single game after Embiid’s return. He picked up where he left off, averaging 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in the five games he played . He also handled a semi-regular workload, averaging 30.5 minutes played in those games.
With Embiid back and relatively healthy, the 76ers will take care of business against the Heat.
76ers vs. Heat betting odds
The 76ers open as 4.5-point favorites against the Heat according to BetMGM, a licensed NBA gaming operator.
| Spread | Total | Money line | |
| 76ers | -4.5 (-110) | o207.5 (-115) | -200 |
| Heat | +4.5 (-110) | u207.5 (-105) | +165 |
MORE: TSN’s Steph Noh shares his All-NBA expert picks
76ers vs. Heat 2023-24 Regular Season Series
The 76ers and Heat split their season series, winning two games each.
- December 25, 2023: Heat 119, 76ers 113
- February 14, 2024: Heat 109, 76ers 104
- March 18, 2024: 76ers 98, Heat 91
- April 4, 2024: 76ers 109, Heat 105
Embiid and Jimmy Butler only played in one of the matchups: the 76ers’ win over the Heat on April 4.
The Christmas Day game between Philadelphia and Miami lost some juice without Embiid or Butler. The Heat took care of business behind a 31-point breakout from rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The two teams faced off again on Valentine’s Day, but Embiid and Butler were once again missing from the lineup. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro had 23 points each to fend off a 30-point game from Tyrese Maxey.
The Heat had a chance to win the season series on March 18, but Maxey again scored 30 points to lead the 76ers to victory.
In the only meeting where you could Really to take something away – with Embiid and Butler in the lineup – Philadelphia won. Embiid had 29 points, but it was Maxey’s near triple-double of 37 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds that led the way.
76ers vs. Heat key storyline: Bam Adebayo vs. Joel Embiid
Embiid is back, and that’s bad news for the Heat.
In five games since his return, Embiid is averaging 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game. He wasted no time recovering from his knee injury, looking healthy enough to lead the 76ers into the playoffs.
Adebayo will draw the Embiid assignment, and the Defensive Player of the Year candidate will have to do a much better job than in their only matchup two weeks ago. Adebayo finished with a team-worst score of -29 +/- in a game that Miami lost by four points.
According to NBA game data, Embiid had 16 points, two assists and a turnover with Adebayo as the main defender. He shot an efficient 6-for-12 from the field while making 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
Maxey went on a rampage in this game, so the Heat had bigger problems to deal with, but Embiid is the heartbeat of the 76ers. If Miami wants to succeed, it starts with defending Adebayo against the reigning MVP.
76ers vs Heat Date, Start Time, TV Channel, Live Stream
- Date: Wednesday April 17
- Time: 7 p.m. ET | 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)
- TV channel: ESPN
- Direct: Sling
76ers vs. Heat will air on ESPN. Viewers in the United States can also stream the Play-In Tournament game on Sling TV.
Sling is the home of sports fans, offering a range of sports channels so you can always cheer on your favorite teams with channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more.
