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The biggest hindrance here is Harden’s gargantuan contract, which will require the Bucks to pay off a massive luxury tax bill if they were to take on the $35.6 million James is owed in 2023-24. However, the truth is that it’s not very likely. The short answer to that question is yes. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports (NBA Rumors) Pretty impressive run.Do The Milwaukee Bucks Actually Have A Path To James Harden? Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) fights for position against Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. You can point to a fairly easy path in the playoffs, and that's true, but a conference finals appearance is a conference finals appearance it doesn't matter how you get there.Īssuming the Heat take care of the Sixers, they will be in the ECF for the second time in the last three seasons, and the sixth time in the last 11 years. They built this team with the expectation of contending for a title, and barring some sort of collapse over the next few days are going to be one of the four final teams. Meanwhile, they re-signed Duncan Robinson to a five-year, $90 million contract in the offseason and he barely even plays anymore.Īnd yet, here they are in the middle of May just one game away from a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. They've been banged up all season long - Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry missed a combined 72 games - and are still dealing with injuries to key players. In some ways, this season has not gone to plan for the Heat.

There was an error processing your subscription. The accidental clash aggravated Embiid's broken orbital bone, and he collapsed to the floor in agony. Heat center Dewayne Dedmon swiped at the ball and made contact with it, which forced the ball back into Embiid's face. Later in the first half, he was going for a rebound and had secured the ball above his head. Though he remained in the game, he was clutching at his back and doubled over heading to the bench.Īs it turned out, that was only the beginning of a painful night for the big man. He managed to save the ball, but it probably wasn't worth it as he took a blow to the back in the process. Just a few minutes into the game, Joel Embiid chased down a loose ball and went flying into the crowd along the baseline. The Sixers were admittedly lifeless at times, but this was still a stellar performance from the Heat. Jimmy Butler picked up where he left off in Game 4, and finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Max Strus added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Seven different players hit a 3-pointer and seven different players scored in double figures, as they worked the Sixers inside and out. The Heat shot 53.6 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point land. Every time you looked up, they were pouring in another bucket. It took less than seven minutes for them to build a double-digit lead, and they would maintain that edge for the majority of the game. Finding their offense again, though, was the most encouraging aspect. Whatever was ailing the Heat on the road was not an issue on Tuesday night as they came back home and delivered a dominant performance on both sides of the ball. Those games were surprising at the moment, and seem even more strange now after Game 5.
76ERS SCORE LAST GAME SERIES
As a result, they came back home with the series tied 2-2, and were suddenly in a best-of-three. They could not make a shot - particularly from 3-point land where they went 14-for- 65 in Games 3 and 4 - and had two of their three least efficient offensive games in the entire playoffs. Heat find their offense againĪfter cruising to a 2-0 series lead at home, the Heat lost their way in Philadelphia. Here are three key takeaways from the game: 1. Miami will try to clinch the series with a win in Game 6 at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night. Obviously, that is not the type of outcome Doc Rivers and his roster were hoping for coming into the night. In the end, Miami took over in the fourth quarter and really opened things up leading to the Sixers emptying their bench with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation. Philadelphia fell behind by double digits in the first quarter and never really made a charge after that. The Heat benefitted from balanced scoring all night long as six players finished the 120-85 win in double figures, led by Jimmy Butler's 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The Miami Heat are one win away from a berth in the Eastern Conference finals after dominating the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night in South Beach to take a 3-2 series lead.
