Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers – Game 5 preview
Philadelphia 76ers kept their feeble hopes of making it to the next round alive with a game-4 win over the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night.
The Heat were more than a match for the Sixers throughout the game and held a 6 point going into the last two minutes of the game. The Sixers however went wild down the stretch and sprinted to a 10-0 run as they snatched an unlikely victory.
However, the 76ers will know that this win will only be a false dawn if they don’t carry on the momentum into the next game. With the game-5 in Miami, they face a
very tough task of staying in the hunt for next round. On the other side of the spectrum, Miami would do well to learn a lesson about closing out a desperate team in the playoffs.
Philadelphia had a superb crowd behind them the whole game, and the players responded with the late surge to outsprint the Heat to the finish line. That crowd will
not be on their side in Miami and if the Sixers are to advance, they need a big performance in the next game. Players like Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand will have to step up in a huge way as they are the leaders in the team.
Doug Collins, the Sixers coach, said after the game that competing for 48 minutes will get the job done, but competing against the likes of LeBron James and Dwayne
Wade is no easy task. While Chris Bosh had a quieter game last time around, he has had a good series. Philadelphia have struggled all series, to control the Big Three of Heat and that has cost them dearly.
To counter the threat posed by Miami’s Big Three, the Sixers need to play a similar game to the one last night. They have to outhustle and outthink Miami. The scoring
in the last game was spread throughout the team including the reserves. In fact, the both team highs came from the bench in game-4. The Sixers also out-rebounded Miami 41-49, for the first time in the series. This is how you beat a team of superstars that
is Miami Heat, with team spirit and heart. That is what Coach Collins is demanding.
Despite all that, the Sixers only won because of a late rally, and Miami will be well aware of the fact. Miami also tried to get there fringe players more involved
in the game, which might have cost them. This fact will however be helpful in the longer run as minutes behind the back always helps the roster. The superstars, home court advantage, well primed reserves and the recent form all stack up to make Miami massive
favourites for game-5 and the series.
Also, the mini-slump that Miami had that night might be a blessing in disguise for the Heat. No doubt the Spoelstra would have told them the perils of underestimating
an opponent, especially late in playoff games but there is no substitute for learning by doing. And Miami learnt it the hard way.
With the home crowd behind Miami, there will be a proverbial mountain to climb for the Sixers in South Beach.
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