PREVIEW: Heat face must win game at home versus 76ers to even playoff series at 2 all

The Miami Heat, who lost their home court advantage with a 20 point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night, must prove they deserve their place in the NBA playoffs.

Game Info

When: Saturday, April 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL

TV: TNT, Fox Sports Sun

Radio: 790 AM, 106.3 FM, 98.3 FM (Spanish)

Win Probabilities: Miami is a 3 point underdog for the match.

Probable Starters

76ers: Ben Simmons, JJ Reddick, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Joel Embiid

Miami: Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, James Johnson, Hassan Whiteside

Injury Report

76ers: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrat (out, knee)

Heat: Dion Waiters (Out, Ankle)

Keys to the Game

1 - Screen the screener: Philadelphia tops all NBA teams in the playoffs with 21 screen assists per game, so Miami must force Sixers’ screener into committing illegal screens or bad spots. Without screens the 76ers perimeter shooters may have to force contested or bad shots.

2 - Beat the 76ers rebounders down the court: Miami leads all NBA teams in 2FG% at 86.7% with 22-18 seconds left on the shot clock, and the 2FG% drops to 40% or less in the last 7 seconds of the shot clock because Philadelphia defenders are late getting back, but then swarm the painted area with tall bodies.

3 - Save Dragic’s minutes for second half: Heat lead all three games at halftime, as Goran ran out of steam in last quarter. Deeper rotation with Rodney McGruder and company early may prevent second-half meltdowns.

4 - Make Whiteside run the court: his 39.7% turnover ratio indicates he’s more useful off the ball by finishing plays rather than initiating them. Kelly Olynyk works better with the ball in his hands, while Bam Adebayo and Whiteside draw shooting fouls when 76ers try to stop them at the rim.

5 - Embiid’s second game in 1.5 days: run the court at extremely fast pace, using Heat’s deep rotation, to exhaust the Sixers big men and force Philadelphia to give them a breather.

Figures courtesy of NBA stats.