Sixers vs. Heat: Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler battle for a playoff spot; play-in scenarios, schedule
If the Sixers win tonight, they'll advance to the NBA playoffs. If they lose, they'll have one more chance to avoid their season ending.
The Sixers are taking on the Miami Heat in an NBA Play-In Tournament game at the Wells Fargo Center. The game is airing on ESPN.
A win and the Sixers will move on to face the New York Knicks in the NBA playoffs.
A loss and they'll face the winner of tonight's other play-in game between the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks.
Here's the full first-round schedule (for both scenarios) should the Sixers advance.
Playoff scenarios for the Sixers if they win or lose tonight
The Sixers ended the season with eight straight wins, but to enter the NBA playoffs, they’ll need one more.
Say hello to the play-in tournament, where the Sixers are making their first appearance in franchise history after finishing the season as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Think of it as a playoff detour, where the Sixers have two chances to advance.
Could free chicken save the Sixers' season?
"Bricken for Chicken" has become a seminal element of the Sixers fan experience at the Wells Fargo Center. So when Heat forward Caleb Martin missed two free throws, fans were delighted that they would receive free chicken nuggets.
The players, who had previously been booed, appeared to feed off that energy as well, scoring 30 points in the third quarter after only converting on 39 in the first half. They put together a serious comeback effort and played with more spark, taking their first lead since 20-19 after trailing by as many as 14 points.
Sixers trail 51-39 as fans boo them off court at halftime
The Sixers struggled in every way possible in the first half of their NBA Play-In Tournament game against the Miami Heat.
They shot poorly from three, turned the ball over, and gave up open looks on the perimeter to multiple Heat shooters. They ended the half trailing, 51-39.
Brandon Graham rings the bell before Sixers-Heat
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, currently the longest-tenured athlete in the city of Philadelphia, is returning to the Birds for one more season. On Wednesday night, with the Eagles offseason program underway across Broad Street, Graham was on hand at the Sixers play-in game against the Heat to fire up the crowd and ring the ceremonial bell.
— Matt Mullin
Sixers-Heat underway in South Philly
The Sixers and Heat are facing off for Eastern Conference's seventh seed — and the right to take on the No. 2 seed Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. That's what the winner gets.
The loser will take on the winner of tonight's other play-in game — the Bulls vs. Hawks — on Friday night with the prize being a series against the team with the NBA's best record, the Boston Celtics.
Here's what the Sixers schedule will be if they advance to the playoffs
Before the Sixers earn the right to play a best-of-seven first-round playoff series they'll need to advance past the play-in round.
If they beat the Heat on Wednesday night, they'll be the seventh seed and will open against the Knicks on Saturday. If they lose, but win a do-or-die second play-in game on Friday night, they'll return to the court on Sunday in Boston.
Joel Embiid will start for Sixers
Sixers play-in game drip watch
Eric Spoelstra praises Tyrese Maxey's confidence
Heat coach Eric Spoelstra said prior to facing the Sixers in a play-in game that the biggest difference he sees in guard Tyrese Maxey since the last time they played in the playoffs in 2022 is his confidence.
— Matt Mullin
Duncan Robinson officially available for Heat
Miami Heat forward and sharpshooter Duncan Robinson (back) will be available for Eric Spoelstra's Heat team in tonight's play-in game against the Sixers. Robinson did not play in the Heat's final four regular-season games and has played in just five of his team's last 13 games.
Robinson averaged 12.9 points in 28 minutes per game and shot 39.5% from three (and 45% overall).
— Matt Mullin
Here are the Sixers giveaway shirts for play-in game
Tyrese Maxey must make the most of his turn
Similar to Joel Embiid, Philadelphia’s second bananas have also largely disappointed in the playoffs over the past six seasons.
Looking again to the Game Score numbers, four of the six qualified No. 2s who suited up in the playoffs saw their average production from the regular season dip in the corresponding postseason. (The only exceptions were Simmons in 2021 — ironically enough — and Butler in 2019.) And the only No. 2 who outperformed his usual stats during the Sixers’ final series of the postseason was Butler, further reinforcing his reputation as a cold-blooded playoff assassin.
ESPN: Zion Williamson out for Pelican's play-in Friday against Kings
Kevin Love looks ready to play tonight against Sixers
Miami Heat forward Kevin Love will be available to play tonight after leaving Sunday's game with an arm injury, according to The Athletic's Eric Koreen.
Love participated in the Heat's shootaround at Temple University this morning.
Joel Embiid taking shots ahead of tonight's game
Nick Nurse’s playoff history started fast, with mixed results since
Starting in 2014, the Toronto Raptors had been to the playoffs five consecutive years under Dwane Casey, but never got out of the Eastern Conference. After getting swept in consecutive seasons by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Raptors decided they had hit their ceiling with Casey as their coach. So they turned to assistant Nick Nurse in 2018.
Nurse not only got Toronto over the Eastern Conference hump in his first season, but he delivered the first and only NBA title in that franchise’s short history. Two important things worked in Nurse’s favor that season: LeBron bolted for Los Angeles and Kawhi Leonard hit a buzzer-beater for the ages to beat the Sixers in a wonderful seven-game series.
Joel Embiid expected to play against Heat
Joel Embiid was a full participant at Sixers practice for the second straight day on Tuesday. The reigning MVP is officially listed as questionable. But he’s expected to play tonight against the Miami Heat after missing Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Brooklyn Nets for precautionary reasons.
Reserve KJ Martin (left great toe bruise) is also questionable. The Sixers will remain without De’Anthony Melton (spine) and Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise).
» READ MORE: Sixers expect drag-out fight from Miami Heat in NBA Play-In Tournament: ‘Welcome to the NBA playoffs’
Embiid's production has slipped in previous playoffs
As much excitement surrounded Joel Embiid’s return — and as much as he helped reverse the downward trend of a team that went 11-18 in February and March without him — the mere fact of the Sixers’ MVP being in the lineup has not traditionally been enough to buoy Philadelphia in the postseason.
It starts with Embiid’s own performance. In the playoffs over his career, he’s seen his average Game Score (a single-number summation of box-score production) decline in five of his six postseasons, with his biggest dips coming over the past two years:
Sixers-Heat: How to watch and stream
The Sixers-Heat play-in game will air on ESPN, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern.
Calling the game will be ESPN’s new NBA Finals crew, which includes play-by-play announcer Mike Breen alongside analysts Doris Burke and former Sixer JJ Redick. King of Prussia native Lisa Salters will report from the court.