The Miami Heat will be without seven players for Saturday’s tilt against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Heat are no longer dealing with any players in health and safety protocols, which is obviously a welcome development. The hope is that Miami will be able to avoid or limit COVID-19 issues for the remainder of the season.
Bam Adebayo is seemingly on the verge of returning to action, but he won’t be able to suit up on Saturday. According to a report earlier in the week, the star big man is hoping to return for the Heat on Monday.
Miami is currently riding a four-game win streak, and the team will look to make it five in a row with a victory over the Sixers on Saturday. The Heat and Sixers have met just once so far this season, and Miami came away with a 101-96 win in that matchup.
At 27-15, the Heat are making moves in the Eastern Conference standings. At the moment, the team holds the No. 2 spot in the East and is just one game back of the first-place Chicago Bulls.
As for the Sixers, they’re sitting in the No. 5 spot in the East with a 24-17 record. Joel Embiid has done a nice job of helping the squad stay relevant this season despite the fact that star guard Ben Simmons hasn’t appeared in a game.
Both Miami and Philadelphia will be looking for a quality win on Saturday. For the Heat, this matchup will be the second contest of a four-game stretch at home.