The Philadelphia 76ers’ backs are against the wall on Thursday night when they take on the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Sixers trail the Heat 3-2 in the series, and they need a win at home in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Miami.
Veteran guard Danny Green called out the team’s performance in Game 5, where the Sixers were dominated by Miami. Green, an NBA champion, knows how important it is to be ready for every single playoff game.
The shootaround availabilities for Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey — typically two of the most talkative and good-natured Sixers — lasted less than six total minutes. Not much to say.
Green: “It shouldn’t take (elimination) for us to wake up. Our last performance was inexcusable.”
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) May 12, 2022
The Sixers lost the first two games of the series in Miami with Joel Embiid out of the lineup due to an orbital fracture and mild concussion. The team evened the series with wins in Game 3 and Game 4, but the Sixers lost 120-85 on Tuesday night in Game 5.
Green has been a major contributor for the Sixers in this year’s playoff run, as he’s started all 11 playoff games and is averaging 28.7 minutes per game.
The Sixers need Green to stretch the floor on offense, and he’s done a solid job this postseason by shooting 40.0 percent from beyond the arc on 6.8 3-point attempts per game.
After such a lopsided game, the Sixers should come out with a sense of urgency in Game 6. The Heat haven’t been able to steal a game on the road in this series, but they are certainly hoping they can carry some of the momentum from Game 5 into Thursday’s matchup.
The Heat and Sixers are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. EST from Wells Fargo Center.
