Miami Heat-Philadelphia 76ers Ranks No. 3 Among Christmas Games
The Miami Heat (17-12) are gearing up for a thrilling matchup against reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (20-8) on Christmas.
"You can throw whatever criteria you want out the window when playing the Heat, whether their top players are healthy—Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro both returned from long absences earlier this week—or not," Pina stated.
The showcases above Miami's are the Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggest (No. 2) and the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers (No. 1). Herro and Adebayo will attempt to outperform one of the league's top tandems, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The Heat's duo has been performing at a high level in recent games.
"Duncan Robinson deserves some Most Improved Player love. Jaime Jaquez Jr. would win Rookie of the Year if Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren didn’t exist," Pina wrote. "Jimmy Butler’s efficiency is down, but he remains a smart-foul magnet who takes care of the ball, nails big shots, and gives their transition attack teeth."
Robinson and Jaquez are two of the biggest surprises on the roster this season. Robinson is playing arguably the best basketball of his career, averaging 15 points on 44.7 percent shooting from three-point range. Jaquez is one of the NBA's top rookies, excelling in his diverse role.
"This game feels like it can be an early-season measuring stick for both teams, but particularly for the Sixers," Pina wrote. "How good are they, really? And what do they need to add before February’s trade deadline? Those answers won’t be contained in one game, but these 48 minutes could stand out as a particularly strong data point in Philadelphia’s season."
Philadelphia is raising their expectations, while Miami's year has been derailed by a plethora of injuries.
Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat.
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