In push for playoff positioning, Heat host injury-riddled 76ers
Two Eastern Conference counterparts, the Philadelphia 76ers and host Miami Heat, meet on Monday following tough losses for both teams.
The Heat (35-43) dropped a 121-115 overtime decision at home on Saturday to Milwaukee in a game with postseason implications. Miami is locked into the play-in round, with only positioning between the East's seven through 10 seeds left to determine.
The 10th-place Heat are three games behind the No. 7 Orlando Magic, who have the most favorable play-in spot ahead of the regular season's closing stretch. Atlanta is 1 1/2 games up on Miami for eighth place, with the Hawks in action on Sunday vs. Utah. In ninth, Chicago holds a one-game lead over the Heat following Sunday's win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Miami's consecutive losses to Memphis and Milwaukee -- two opponents who have clinched playoff spots -- 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 postseason contention, takes a season-worst 11-game losing streak into Monday's contest. The 76ers dropped a 114-109 nailbiter to Minnesota at home on Saturday to continue their slide.
Quentin Grimes hit four 3-pointers in the final 3:26, helping the Sixers pull within one possession of the Timberwolves twice down the stretch, but Philadelphia had no answer for Anthony Edwards.
With his 28 points in the loss, Grimes has scored at least 22 points in 12 of 13 appearances dating back to March 9.
The one exception came in Philadelphia's last meeting with Miami, a 118-95 Heat win in Philadelphia. Miami held Grimes to 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the floor.
Tyler Herro paced the Heat in that matchup with 30 points and 5-of-9 3-point shooting. Miami's leading scorer this season (23.9 points per game), Herro missed Saturday's contest with a thigh injury amid a streak of 20-plus points in his previous seven outings.
"We have a very deep team and everybody can step up when they need to," said Miami's Alec Burks, who scored 24 points on Saturday. "Just stay ready. Be a professional, stay ready. I learned 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' lineup 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 Philadelphia's last four contests. After spending the previous four seasons with Spanish club Real Madrid, Yabusele returned to the NBA this year with the Sixers and has averaged 11 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in 70 games played.
--Field Level Media
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