Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat
As expected, the 76ers struggled in Game 1 of this series without Joel Embiid and they'll need to bounce back quickly before this becomes a 2-0 series deficit. In Game 1, the 76ers shot just 17% from beyond the arc and Maxey/Harden were disappointing. Harden finished with just 16 pts and 5 turnovers. Meanwhile, Maxey shot 7 of 21 and scored 19 pts in 35 minutes. A special mention to Niang as well after he missed all 14 shots and was 0-7 from three. But, the standout was Harris with 27 pts and he'll need to continue that form into Game 2. Without Embiid, they obviously struggled to match his production through Jordan and Niang.
A perfect start to the series for the Heat with a 106-92 victory. Herro top scored for the Heat off the bench with 25 pts and Adebayo dominated with 24 pts / 12 boards. The fact that Jimmy Butler had a quiet game with just 15 pts is a great sign going forward for the Heat in this series and beyond. However, there are some injury issues to watch out for. Herro hurt his ankle in Game 1 and is questionable. Lowry is still out with a hamstring injury and Vincent is dealing with a knee issue.
The total easily went Under in Game 1 and we're expecting more of the same in Game 2. The Under is now 5-0 in the Heat's last 5 games and last 5 at home. It's also 4-1 when these two sides meet in Miami. Philadelphia is now 5-1 against the Under in their last 6 and 6-3 when they hit the road.
Stadium Record
The Heat are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games. Philadelphia has lost 6 of their last 7 in Miami.
Head to Head Record
Miami lead this series 1-0 and have won 6 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
The Mavericks staged a late rally in Game 1 but fell short in the 121-114 result. They will rue a slow first quarter as they were outscored 35-25 and will look for a better start in Game 2 on Thursday. Doncic started the series with a brilliant 45 pt outing and he fell 2 assists short of a triple-double. However, his teammates will need to provide some support. Brunson had a quiet game with just 13 pts and he's been on fire in the previous series against the Jazz. Dinwiddie was also quiet off the bench in his 30 minutes with just 8 pts. Kleber was the standout off the bench with 19 pts and he also hit 5 threes.
The Suns started the semi-finals in perfect fashion with a 7 pt victory and will be confident of capturing a 2-0 series lead on Thursday. In Game 1, Ayton continued his dominant postseason with 25 pts and 8 boards. Booker played 38 minutes and added 23 pts as well. This allowed Paul to have a quieter game than usual and he only played 29 minutes. Off the bench, Johnson was a strong performer with 17 pts in 24 minutes. Overall, there were no injuries to report for the Suns and they'll head into Game 2 as overwhelming favourites.
The total looks a bit low for Game 2 considering the two sides combined for 235 pts in Game 1. The Over is now 5-1 in the Suns last 6 games and Dallas holds a 6-2 Overs record on the road. With Doncic in great shooting form and the likes of Booker/Paul/Ayton on the court, this should be another high scoring affair.
Stadium Record
The Suns are 6-3 ATS in their last 9 at home. The Mavs are 3-8 ATS at this venue.
Head to Head Record
Phoenix is now a perfect 10-0 against the Mavs since early 2020.
Best Bet
