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Should the Sixers (and you) fear the Miami Heat?

April 16, 2024

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo double-teaming Joel Embiid.

Apr 4, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22), Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) box-out during free throw during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

No team in the league causes psychosis for opposing fanbases and media quite like the Miami Heat. They exist in a space typically reserved for former champions — their on-court results basically do not matter until the playoffs begin, when they flip the giant switch labeled SICKO MODE and start actually playing basketball.
The Sixers' reward for finishing the season on an eight-game winning streak is a date with Miami, a win-and-in opener to the play-in tournament that will send the victor to New York to face the Knicks this Saturday. In place of a traditional preview, and I still might provide you with one of those, I thought we'd have some fun and assess our fears ahead of Wednesday's big ...

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