In push for play-off positioning, Miami Heat host injury-riddled Philadelphia 76ers

MIAMI – Two National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference counterparts, the Philadelphia 76ers and hosts Miami Heat, meet on April 7 (April 8, Singapore time) following tough losses for both teams.

The Heat (35-43) dropped a 121-115 overtime decision at home on April 5 to the Milwaukee Bucks in a game with post-season implications. Miami are locked into the play-in round, with only positioning between the East’s seventh to 10th seeds left to determine.

The 10th-placed Heat are three games behind the No. 7 Orlando Magic, who have the most favourable play-in spot ahead of the regular season’s closing stretch.

The Atlanta Hawks are two games up on Miami for eighth place. In ninth, the Chicago Bulls hold a one-game lead over the Heat.

Miami’s consecutive losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee come on the heels of a six-game winning streak.

“Bro, we’ve been on a 10-game losing streak,” Bam Adebayo said of Miami’s back-to-back defeats. “Two is not that bad. We all hate losing. Monday, everybody will come in with the same mentality, try to get a win.”

Philadelphia (23-55), long ago eliminated from post-season contention, take a season-worst 11-game losing streak into the contest. The 76ers dropped a 114-109 nail-biter to the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on April 5 to continue their slide.

Quentin Grimes hit four three-pointers in the final 3min 26sec, helping the Sixers pull within one possession of the Timberwolves twice late on, but Philadelphia had no answer for Anthony Edwards, who poured in 37 points.

With his 28 points in the loss, Grimes has scored at least 22 points in 12 of 13 appearances dating back to March 9, so he could be the key player that the Heat would have to watch out for.

They are prepared, however.

“We have a very deep team and everybody can step up when they need to,” said Miami’s 33-year-old Alec Burks, who scored 24 points against the Bucks.

“Just stay ready. Be a professional, stay ready. I learnt it over my career. You never know what’s going to happen game to game.”

Roster flux has been the story for Philadelphia throughout the 2024-25 season, with stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George all currently sidelined for the remainder of an injury-plagued campaign.

The holes in the Sixers’ line-up have created opportunities for other players to step up. Grimes has been one such Sixer, and Guerschon Yabusele has been another in recent weeks.

“What he’s doing now would be a strong end to the season,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said of Yabusele.

“He’s playing hard. He’s got the right kind of attitude.”

The journeyman forward has scored 19, 22 and 21 points in three of his last four contests.

After spending the previous three seasons with Spanish club Real Madrid, Yabusele returned to the NBA in 2024 with the Sixers and has averaged 11 points and 5.6 rebounds per game over 70 games.

Meanwhile in NBA action on April 6, Luka Doncic scored 30 points as the Los Angeles Lakers produced a devastating display of long-range shooting to score a surprising 126-99 blowout win over the top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder.

A heavyweight showdown between the Western Conference leaders and the third-placed Lakers was effectively settled in the first half, as Los Angeles rattled in 15 three-pointers – a franchise record – to open up a 78-56 lead at the end of the second quarter.

The Lakers never looked like surrendering that hefty double-digit cushion, as they closed out a comfortable win to silence the Oklahoma City home crowd.

The win saw the Lakers (48-30) edge closer to securing one of the four remaining automatic play-off spots in the West after already-qualified Oklahoma City (64-14) and the Houston Rockets (52-27).

“They’re the No. 1 team in the West, so you can’t let up no matter what the score is – they’re always going to make a push. That’s why they are where they are at this part of the season,” said LeBron James, who had 19 points. REUTERS, AFP