Miami Heat Have To Avoid Outside Noise The First Two Games Against Sixers

Most national pundits are picking the Heat in Games 1 and 2 because of Embiid injury

One of Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's favorite sayings is this: "block out the noise." 

That mantra is what the Heat have to take into the first two games of their series against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. 

Game 1 is Monday at FTX Arena, but most already feel the Heat have the series won. The Heat were already favored and their chances grew when Sixers center Joel Embiid was ruled out the first two games because of a broken orbital bone. 

NBA.com has already picked the Heat in 5 while every ESPN NBA writer chose Miami. On Sunday's NBA Countdown on ESPN, analysts Jalen Rose and Stephen A. Smith took it further when examining the Sixers' chances of winning one of the first two games. 

"They're not going to be able to do it," Rose said of the Sixers. 

Smith spoke more bluntly. 

"Zero (chance)," Smith said. "Let's just get this out of the way ... To be here on national television and promoting the game, you want to give suspense and you want to make sure you that you give the impression that there's a chance. Ain't no way in hell the Miami Heat are losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in South Beach. It's not going to happen." 

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