NBA – Despite their eight victories in a row, the Sixers will compete in the “play-in” with two possibilities, at home, to qualify for the playoffs.
Sixers – Heat will therefore be a simple “play-in” poster! For the winner, the prospect of facing the Knicks in the first round, while the loser will be entitled to a second chance against the winner of the play-off between the Bulls and the Hawks. For Nicolas Batum, the sooner the better.
“We have to win on Wednesday” warns the French. “It’s a complicated situation. We are facing a very good team. They were already there last season. Last year, they proved that you could almost go all the way by being a play-in team. So it’s a team that has been there before.”
The play-in experience is therefore in favor of the Heat, but the Sixers are the NBA's team in form with eight victories in a row! And Nick Nurse's players will play in front of their home crowd.
“I don’t find participating in the play-in disappointing,” recognizes Cam Payne. “The good side of things is that we have eight wins in a row. To enter the playoffs, winning eight times in a row is huge. Getting to the playoffs in good health is important. We couldn't ask for anything better for a team to approach the playoffs in good conditions.”
Joel Embiid trained normally
Speaking of health, a question: where is Joel Embiid? We left him grimacing during the match against Orlando. Sunday, he was not dressed to face the Nets. If the 2023 MVP did not speak, Nick Nurse assured that his leader had trained normally on Saturday, and that he would be on the field Wednesday evening. Ideal before facing a team as physical as the Heat.
“It’s clear that we had some great battles with them,” recalls Nick Nurse. “We always expect that against them. In the lead, we have the desire to continue to play well and give our best. This is a bit like how we approached the last month of the year. We get involved, we make our players play the right way and we do whatever it takes to win. We have a good mindset, I think, and that's what we're going to do on Wednesday. »
