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For the second straight season, the Heat find themselves in the 2024 Play-In Tournament. But as the world learned in 2023, Miami’s seeding doesn’t necessarily reflect its true potential.
Last year, Jimmy Butler & Co. took the Heat to the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. They’ll have the opportunity to grab the No. 7 seed in the 2024 playoffs in Wednesday’s Play-In matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Heat (46-36) have a similar core from previous seasons, with Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro atop the roster. The supporting cast switched up a bit, with Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry finding new homes.
Instead, Miami drafted Jaime Jaquez Jr. and has seen improvements from Nikola Jovic in his sophomore season. Caleb Martin and Kevin Love remain regular rotation members.
The Heat also acquired Terry Rozier midseason, but the team ruled out the veteran point guard with a neck injury for the game against the 76ers. No matter who suits up, though, the Heat remain a threat with “Playoff Jimmy.”
MORE: ‘Playoff Jimmy’ Butler adds to legendary postseason performances
The 76ers (47-35) also return a similar core to previous playoff runs — the key difference is James Harden is no longer with the team.
Joel Embiid is still the headliner, though he’s still dealing with a knee injury. Nick Nurse expects him to play against the Heat, and the MVP was a full participant at Tuesday’s practice, according to Ky Carlin of USA Today.
Embiid was having an MVP-caliber year before injuries derailed his season. He averaged 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, 5.6 assists on .529/.388/.883 shooting splits. He also added 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals through 39 games played.
Tyrese Maxey took a massive step in his development this season, proving he can be the lead guard alongside Embiid. He averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game and made his first All-Star game appearance.
The winner of this game will earn the No. 7 seed and face the No. 2 New York Knicks in a seven-game series. The loser will play the winner of the Play-In game between the No. 9 Chicago Bulls and the No. 10 Atlanta Hawks for the No. 8 seed.
WATCH: Stream Heat vs. 76ers Play-In game on Sling
Heat vs. 76ers live score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Heat | 23 | 28 | 23 | ||
| 76ers | 22 | 17 | 30 |
MORE: NBA 2024 Play-In Tournament predictions
Heat vs. 76ers live updates, highlights from 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament
(All times Eastern)
9:36 p.m.: WOW, Batum blocks Herro’s 3-pointer. Maxey goes to the free throw line immediately after and drains both free throws.
BATUM BLOCK. https://t.co/RlcRuT5mjd pic.twitter.com/neKODfjRcy
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 18, 2024
9:33 p.m.: Embiid finds Oubre in the paint who converts the and-1 to give Philadelphia the 99-96 lead with 36 seconds left.
9:31 p.m.: And-1 for the reigning MVP! He converts the three-point play with under two minutes to play. 76ers lead by two.
9:30 p.m.: Herro immediately answers with a 3 of his own to retake the lead 94-93.
9:30 p.m.: An Embiid 3-pointer from the top of the arc put the 76ers back up 93-91.
9:29 p.m.: Just 2:39 remain in the fourth quarter as the Heat lead 91-90. Philadelphia has the ball.
9:22 p.m.: Heat retake the lead with just over five to play.
9:16 p.m: Butler picks up his fifth steal of the game but grabs his knee as he gets back on defense.
9:15 p.m.: Batum again! That’s his sixth 3-pointer to give him 18 points in 20 minutes off the bench.
9:13 p.m.: 76ers lead! Nic Batum hits his fifth 3-pointer of the evening to give the 76ers the 79-76 lead.
9:08 p.m.: Tie game! Embiid nails a 3 to tie the game at 74-74 with 11 minutes to play.
Joel Embiid hits the HUGE three to tie the game as the Sixers erase a 14-point deficit 👌pic.twitter.com/UY3RJP09sx
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 18, 2024
Third quarter: Heat 74, 76ers 69
9:03 p.m.: The Heat can’t get rid of the 76ers no matter how many times they answer. The Heat lead 74-69 entering the fourth quarter.
8:58 p.m.: Maxey gets quite a ridiculous layup to fall as Philadelphia’s offense continues it’s hot streak.
HOW DID TYRESE MAXEY PUT THIS IN pic.twitter.com/aMXmbvVzyj
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) April 18, 2024
8:54 p.m.: Buddy Hield from 3! That’s a 9-0 run for the 76ers as they come within three points, 59-56.
8:50 p.m.: Free chicken got the 76ers back in the game. After Martin’s missed free throws, the 76ers scored five straight to cut the lead down to 59-53 with 6:14 left in the third.
8:49 p.m.: Philadelphia fans have booed the team for its poor performance, but Martin’s two missed free throws ignited the crowd as they won free chicken.
8:47 p.m.: The Heat are keeping a solid lead over the 76ers through five minutes of the third quarter. Miami leads 59-48 behind Butler’s 13 points. Eight of the nine Heat players that have logged minutes have scored at least five points. The ninth player has three points.
Halftime: Heat 51, 76ers 39
8:16 p.m.: Caleb Martin’s 3-pointer continues a 9-0 run for the Heat as they take a 51-37 lead.
8:10 p.m.: Philadelphia’s offense isn’t flowing and feels stagnant thanks to that Miami zone. Typically, a team can beat the zone with outside shooting, but the 76ers are shooting just 2-of-15 on 3-pointers.
8:04 p.m.: Offensive struggles continue for the 76ers in the second quarter. They’re shooting just 31.4% from the floor and has 11 turnovers. Heat lead 37-30 with 5:38 left in the half. Butler is up to four steals and seems to be fine after his scary fall.
Intercepted by Jimmy, finished by Haywood Highsmith
(via @MiamiHEAT)pic.twitter.com/Ka2CEyX6wS
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) April 18, 2024
7:59 p.m.: Love drains a 3-pointer from a few feet behind the line to give the Heat a 33-26 lead with 8:06 left in the half. The seven-point lead is Miami’s largest lead of the night.
7:53 p.m.: Butler is still in the game at the start of the second quarter. He draws Embiid’s second foul with 11:34 remaining.
First quarter: Heat 23, 76ers 22
7:48 p.m.: Butler remained in the game to shoot his free throws, making 1-of-2. He limped off the court at the end of the quarter. His status for the rest of the game it to be determined.
7:45 p.m.: Butler is in a lot of pain, grabbing at his knee after taking contact on a layup. Replay showed Oubre bumped into Butler’s leg and landed on his foot.
Pray for Jimmy Butler 🙏💔 pic.twitter.com/ywxFMVCFev
— BarnesMuse (@MuseBarnes) April 17, 2024
7:44 p.m.: Jaime Jacquez knocks down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 20-20 with under a minute remaining in the first quarter.
7:43 p.m.: The Heat are playing a zone defense, which has forced the 76ers into multiple turnovers and missed shots.
7:34 p.m.: Butler has picked up two steals in the past two minutes, earning a dunk at the end of both fast breaks.
7:30 p.m.: The 76ers lead 12-6 halfway through the first quarter.
7:28 p.m.: Adebayo picked up his second foul with just 6:55 remaining in the first quarter. Kevin Love will sub in.
7:25 p.m.: Slow offense start for both teams as they’ve combined to shoot 3-of-14 from the field.
7:19 p.m.: Tobias Harris kicks off the scoring with a mid-range jumper.
7:03 p.m.: Something to keep an eye on through the game is how Embiid’s knee holds up. He’s still not 100%, but he will suit up with the 76ers’ playoff hopes on the line.
6:55 p.m.: Both team’s starting five:
Philadelphia 76ers:
- Tyrese Maxey
- Kyle Lowry
- Kelly Oubre
- Tobias Harris
- Joel Embiid
Miami Heat:
- Tyler Herro
- Caleb Martin
- Jimmy Butler
- Nikola Jovic
- Bam Adebayo
6:11 p.m.: About an hour until tip off in Philadelphia. Winner of this play-in game will earn the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and play the No. 2 New York Knicks in the first round. The loser will play the winner of No. 9 Bulls/No. 10 Hawks on Friday, April 19.
5:52 p.m.: Duncan Robinson is cleared to play for the Miami Heat. He missed the past four games due to a spine (facet) injury. Terry Rozier remains out with a neck injury.
Heat vs. 76ers starting time
- Date: Wednesday, April 17
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Live stream: Sling
The 76ers will host the Heat at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 17. The game can also be streamed on Sling.
Viewers can live stream every 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament game with Sling.
NBA 2024 Play-In Tournament schedule
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| No. 8 Heat at No. 7 76ers | April 17 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| No. 10 Hawks at No. 9 Bulls | April 17 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| No. 9 Kings at No. 8 Pelicans | April 19 | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD at TBD | April 19 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |