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The Miami Heat have quietly looked spectacular thus far in the playoffs. They easily handled the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round, and currently hold a 2-0 series lead on the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals. To be completely honest, they have been aided a bit by injuries to opposing stars. Early on in the series with the Hawks, Atlanta lost their center Clint Capela who is their rim protector and best defensive player. Then news broke prior to the series with the Sixers that Joel Embiid is dealing with a facial fracture and a concussion, costing him the first two games of the series. Embiid is currently listed as ‘out' for Game 3, but that could change is he passes concussion protocols. Knowing that, we'll be making our Miami Heat three bold predictions for Game 3 vs. Sixers in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The flip side of the injury news is that the Heat have been without Kyle Lowry for the last few games with a hamstring injury. However, Miami recently received positive news as Lowry's status has been upgraded to questionable for Game 3 Friday night in Philadelphia.
That would certainly be a big boost to the Heat if he is able to return. But knowing they are in control of the series, I believe it is unlikely he will suit up. After all, you keep winning without him. Why chance rushing him back when you have bigger goals in mind than just winning Game 3.
Click here for odds on Heat vs. Sixers Game 3, courtesy of FanDuel.
So, let's get into it and reveal our 3 bold predictions for the Heat in Game 3 vs. the Sixers.
Miami Heat: 3 Bold Predictions for Game 3 vs. Philadelphia 76ers
1. Bam Adebayo dominates again
With the news that Embiid is not likely to play in Game 3, that means that Heat center Bam Adebayo will continue to get favorable matchups. Thus far in the series, he has been dominating the paint, and working very efficiently.
In Joel Embiid's absence, Bam Adebayo has made light work of the 76ers big men in the series thus far.
In their 1 regular season meeting, Adebayo scored 4 points on 2-6 shooting with Embiid defending him (per NBA Advanced Stats). pic.twitter.com/H6fRE6RVTx
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 5, 2022
Adebayo is shooting 9-for-10 when being guarded by DeAndre Jordan for 22 points. Paul Reed has surprisingly held him to 2-for-5 but is obviously a much smaller sample size. Paul Millsap, the aging power forward, has rarely seen the court against the Heat big man.
During the regular season however, Embiid held Adebayo to just four points on 2-for-6 shooting. Clearly, Embiid's absence has had a big role to play in how this series has played out thus far. Unless his status gets reversed in time for Game 3 in Philly, you can expect more dominance from the Miami center.
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2. Duncan Robinson earns minutes and makes an impact
Heat shooting guard Duncan Robinson had 27 points in the first game of the playoffs against the Hawks. Since then, he has watched his minutes dwindle. In the series against the Sixers, he has played a grand total of one minute in the two games. I believe that will change in Game 3.
The sudden limit of his playing time has a number of factors contributing to it. For one, Victor Oladipo finally cracked the lineup recently due to Kyle Lowry's injury and has really come on. But Oladipo has always been a streaky shooter and inconsistent defender. If he struggles with his shot in Philly during Game 3, that could open the door for Robinson to see minutes again.
Taking Duncan Robinson out the rotation for Oladipo was genius. Oladipo is a better defender and shot creator / playmaker. Robinson is useless unless he catches fire from three
— Phil (@Still_inMyPrime) May 5, 2022
Another key factor to why Robinson hasn't played this series is his defense, or lack thereof. But as the series shifts to Philadelphia, things aren't going to be as easy on offense. I foresee the Heat needing some shooting off the bench. That's where Robinson will come into play and make a difference in Game 3.
3. Heat drop Game 3 and falsely make this look like a series
The Philadelphia 76ers were a very good team this season. I do not believe they are just going to bow out gracefully and get destroyed along the way. The crowd at the Wells Fargo Center will be jacked up from the tip. There is still a decent chance that Embiid suits up, which would change the outlook of Game 3 entirely.
He worked out with his teammates and the only real hurdle at this point is clearing the NBA's concussion protocol.
Nevertheless, I think the Sixers will find a way to win this game and cut the series deficit to 2-1. But overall, it's just a mirage. Miami is considerably better, especially defensively. That will continue to show itself as the series plays out.
