The Miami Heat Have An Advantage Entering A Road Play-In Matchup With The Philadelphia 76ers
The Miami Heat have the second-best road record in the Eastern Conference
The Miami Heat may not have an issue being the visiting team for Wednesday’s Play-In game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Heat were one of the best road teams in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, going 24-17 away from the Kaseya Center. That marks the second-best road record in the East, only trailing the overall No. 1 seeded Boston Celtics.
The Heat allowed the fewest points on the road in the NBA. The opponent’s 106.6 average points on the road is nearly three points lower than the next-best team in the category. The Heat also allowed the lowest field goal percentage and three-point percentage on the road in the league.
On the other side of the court, the 76ers struggled to shoot at the Wells Fargo Center this year. The team had the 26th-best shooting percentage and the 20th-best three-point percentage at home this year.
The Heat and 76ers split their season series two games each. Despite the 1-1 record at the Wells Fargo Center, the Heat held the 76ers to just 101 points per game there.
The 76ers were also more susceptible against good-shooting teams at home this season, despite a better record at home than on the road. The Heat allowed better shooting percentages at home than they did on the road.
The matchup between the Heat and 76ers will be played on Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Will the lower-seeded and visiting Heat be able to come into the Wells Fargo Center and steal the seventh spot in the conference from the 76ers? Only time will tell.
Casey Fahrer is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at caseyfahrer716@gmail.com.
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