Getty Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid shoots past James Johnson of the New Orleans Pelicans.
On Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers had a golden opportunity to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, it was the first time in weeks that the Sixers were forced to contend with a good team at full strength and it showed.
Instead of securing top honors, Philly was temporarily put back in the mud by one of the Association’s hottest squads, losing to Jimmy Butler and Co. 106-94.
It was a disappointing result given the team’s lofty ambitions and the playoff-like atmosphere in the game. And the Sixers have been afforded precious little time to lick their wounds in the wake of the setback.
A Friday-night bout with the Orlando Magic — the first of a back-to-back home series with the club — looms; a game in which the Sixers will be expected to prevail.
However, the quick turnaround, some lingering bumps and bruises and key absences could make life harder on Philly as the franchise looks to clinch once again.
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Dwight Howard Out, Matisse Thybulle Questionable Vs. Magic
As relayed by Sports Illustrated’s Justin Grasso, big man Joel Embiid, sharpshooter Furkan Korkmaz and super-sub Shake Milton are all probable to play against Orlando.
Embiid returned from his one-game absence (illness) to post one of his worst efforts of the ’20-21 campaign against the Heat. In 25 minutes of play, he scored just six points on 3-of-9 shooting and committed four turnovers.
Korkmaz and Milton, meanwhile, have been battling an ankle injury and knee soreness, respectively. Both players suited up against Miami, but only Milton was effective, scoring 12 points on eight shots in 23 minutes of play.
One player who couldn’t go in the Heat game was Matisse Thybulle, who exited Tuesday’s turn against the Indiana Pacers with hand soreness. He is questionable to play on Friday, and his defense will be greatly missed if he can’t go.
Thybulle currently leads the NBA in deflections per 36 minutes with 5.9. He also ranks seventh league-wide in steals at 1.6 per contest, despite playing just 20 minutes a night.
One player who definitely won’t be participating is Dwight Howard, who has been suspended due to his excess of technical fouls.
Howard Tangles with Haslem
Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who acts more as a locker room mentor than anything these days, made his long-awaited season debut against Philly. Three in-game minutes later, he was ejected for tussling with Howard.
Haslem had approached Howard after a foul call during the second quarter. On a previous play, the multi-time All-Star had thrown Haslem down to the hardwood, a move which he apparently didn’t appreciate.
Although the exchange offered little more than some harsh words, a finger-point to Howard’s grille and a light shove or two, Philly’s backup pivot was assessed a technical foul for his part in it all. It was his 16th infraction of the season, which resulted in an automatic, one-game suspension.
While it was a disappointing turn of events for the Heat faithful, the dust-up could prove costly for Howard and the Sixers.
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