The Philadelphia 76ers successfully tied the series against the Miami Heat at two games apiece after winning Game 4 on a 116-108 victory. A 34-point second quarter and a strong finishing kick in the fourth powered by the newfound momentum of James Harden made the difference in this game.

 

Heading to Game 5, the Heat are expected to make major adjustments as they head back to their home floor after losing two games in a row in Philadelphia. At this point, the series can go either way and will definitely favor the team that can perform at a higher level in the upcoming game.

The momentum is currently on the side of the Sixers though it will take strong performances from their main guys in order for them to pull off a crucial victory in Game 5.

With that said, let's take a look at three bold predictions for the Sixers in Game 5 against the Heat.

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3 bold Sixers predictions in Game 5 vs Heat

3. Joel Embiid will play more in the post

Joel Embiid's life at the post has been made harder in this series against the Heat. According to NBA.com, he was only able to post up a total of four times in both Games 3 and 4 after returning from injury. It was definitely a far cry from the 9.8 post-ups per game that he averaged during the 2021-22 regular season.

Miami's defense played a significant role in limiting Embiid's production at the post as the Heat's pesky guards tend to front him and deny passes when they switch with his main defender in Bam Adebayo. Not having the Cameroonian center do damage in the post gave a huge disadvantage to the Sixers in Game 4 as they only scored 34 points in the paint as compared to the Heat's 48.

Yes, Embiid is still very much a valuable contributor even though he's not yet in the pink of health due to his face injury. However, he will get to be a more dominant threat for Philadelphia once he gets his usual touches in the post. Given that the Heat have been deploying this defensive gameplan towards him for the past two games, it is expected that the Sixers have already found a way to counter it and give Embiid more possessions near the basket.

There's no denying that the five-time All-Star is already capable of producing solid numbers after putting up 24 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists in Game 4 which led to a crucial win. If Embiid can get more post-ups in Game 5 then the Sixers can definitely gain a huge advantage and have a stronger outing in their upcoming match.

2. James Harden will put up another 30-point outing

It is evident that James Harden has been the missing link for the Sixers all throughout their postseason campaign. In fact, he only averaged 20.2 points, 8.6 assists, and 6.3 rebounds through nine games played in the playoffs. It's a decent line of numbers but definitely not one that you would normally expect by Harden's standards.

However, in Game 4, the former MVP finally broke out and regained his groove after compiling 31 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists in 41 minutes. His production, of course, played a huge role in allowing the Sixers to get a much-needed win and tie the series at two games apiece. Throughout his career, Harden has proven that he is a streaky player who can put up huge scoring outputs on consecutive nights.

Yes, he can get into a rough slump from time to time but that doesn't take away his distinction as one of the elite scorers in the league up to this day. After having a good outing in Game 4, Harden is expected to follow through and come out with another 30-piece for Philadelphia in a pivotal Game 5. Surely enough, the Sixers will be a tougher team to beat if they have Harden playing like his usual self on the floor for the remainder of this series.

1. The Sixers will pull off a narrow win and take a 3-2 series advantage

After winning two consecutive games, the momentum is certainly on the side of the Sixers at the moment. However, the Heat are also expected to counter and bounce back with Game 5 being played on their home floor. Erik Spoelstra's squad will surely not go down without a fight as a pivotal series advantage is up for grabs.

With that said, Philadelphia will have to lean on Joel Embiid's usual production as well as James Harden's newfound momentum in order for them to win their third straight game. With the series already tied at two games apiece, Game 5 is poised to be a tightly contested affair that can go either way.

However, with the way that the Sixers have been playing as of late, it seems like they are peaking at the right time. If they manage to execute and play well in Game 5 then they might just survive and successfully take a 3-2 series lead over the Heat.