Coming off what is now their sixth straight loss, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Miami Heat on Saturday in night one of a back-to-back. Looking at the injury report, it seems they will also be without a handful of their top contributors.
With Jimmy Butler now on the Golden State Warriors, the Heat find themselves without one of their main leaders in the locker room. As the most experienced player on the roster, Kevin Love is now left as the primary veteran pillar off the court.
With the team going in a different direction following the trade deadline, the former All-Star and champion hasn’t been in the lineup much. Love has appeared in just 23 games this season, averaging 5.3 PPG and 4.1 RPG while shooting 35.8% from deep in that stretch.
Love has been out of action for the Heat’s last three games, and that will continue on Saturday. He has already been scratched against the Sixers due to personal reasons.
The Sixers have a lot riding on Saturday’s game for multiple reasons. For starters, they’ll want to put an end to their losing streak as it slowly approaches double digits. Also, a loss against Miami will also mean that they’ve officially been eliminated from playoff contention. Their 23-50 record is currently good for 12th place in the East, trailing the 10th-place Heat by nine games.
Stopping their current skid will be no small task, as the Sixers still find themselves vastly short-handed. Quentin Grimes has emerged as the leader of the depleted rotation, continuing to impress since coming over from the Mavericks at the deadline. He’ll look to keep his hot streak rolling in hopes of getting the Sixers in a position to compete.
Sixers-Heat is set to tip off at 7:30 pm Eastern Time.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!