The Philadelphia 76ers are headed to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They are set to take on the Miami Heat after a six-game series against the Toronto Raptors.

A lot happened in the Sixers' first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, and a lot of it wasn't pretty. Philadelphia took a 3-0 lead and planned on closing out the series with a sweep. However, the team instead went 0-2 the next two games before finishing it up in Game 6.

The final game of the series was a must-watch to say the very least. They crushed the Raptors 132-97, gaining a huge lead in the third quarter. However, the Sixers didn't come out unscathed. Pascal Siakam nailed Joel Embiid with an elbow to the face at the end of the matchup. Now, he's out indefinitely with an orbital fracture and mild concussion.

Meanwhile, Miami is coming into the Conference Semifinals hot. The Heat closed out their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks in only five games. They last played on Tuesday, giving Miami two extra days of rest than Philadelphia.

With all of this in mind, here are our three boldest predictions for the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Heat.

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Sixers 3 Bold Predictions for Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Heat

3. James Harden turns up the heat

Since James Harden arrived in Philadelphia back in February, he's shown multiple sides of himself. In some games, Harden has proved why many consider him a top player in the league. However, in other games, he's validated people who have doubts about him.

Fortunately for Philadelphia, Harden stepped it up in Game 6 of the first round. He picked up 22 points, six assists, and 15 rebounds in the win, and played with refreshing aggressiveness. Especially with Embiid out indefinitely, expect the Beard to turn up the heat even more in the Conference Semifinals.

2. Danny Green steps it up

Danny Green was the unsung hero in Game 6 against the Raptors. His last two three-pointers in the second quarter caused a huge momentum shift in the Sixers' favor, pushing them to a dominating third quarter.

Green's calm and collected nature in the playoffs isn't much of a surprise. Ahead of the Sixers vs. Heat series, he's played in 154 playoff games and won three NBA championships. Expect his leadership and productivity to play a huge factor in the Sixers' success in this series.

1. The return of masked Embiid

Embiid's latest injuries are extremely concerning, but they aren't necessarily new to him. The star center suffered an orbital fracture and concussion in March of 2018, weeks before they were slated to take on the Heat in the first round.

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, “Embiid had surgery, missed the remainder of the regular season, and returned for Game 3.”

Unlike last time, there isn't any time for Embiid to undergo surgery and make it back for the Sixers vs. Heat series. However, expect to see the center on the court by Game 4, and expect the mask to make a triumphant return. Finally, our boldest prediction yet: masked Embiid and the Sixers beat the Heat 4-3 in the series.