Report: Philadelphia 76ers star to miss marquee matchup vs. Miami Heat - Heat Nation
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Report: Philadelphia 76ers star to miss marquee matchup vs. Miami Heat

James Harden and Joel Embiid Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden will miss Saturday’s matchup against the Miami Heat.

Harden seems to still be recovering from a hamstring injury, and that is why he will miss the game on Saturday.

Harden scored 25 points and added 11 assists in Philadelphia’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

This is certainly great news for Miami. The Sixers are 4-0 in the four games that Harden and Joel Embiid have played together since the team traded for Harden at the NBA’s trade deadline.

Harden has played well in Philadelphia, as he is averaging 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 12.0 assists per game while shooting 59.2 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3-point range through his four games as a 76ers player.

The Heat are currently the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and they hold a two-game lead on the second-place Sixers heading into Saturday.

This should set up a great spot for Miami to widen that gap, as losing Harden is a major blow to Philadelphia’s offense.

The Heat are 4-1 since the NBA’s All-Star break. Their only loss came against the Milwaukee Bucks back on Wednesday in a heartbreaker. Miami bounced back to knock off the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

There’s a chance that the Heat and Sixers could face off in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, so Miami would love to handle business in this matchup to help it get closer to securing home-court advantage in the postseason.

The Heat and Sixers are scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday night.

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