2-2, Embiid returned after the 76ers won two consecutive sets, the two sides returned to the same running line again, although the Heat still have home advantage, but in the momentum has begun to bias towards the 76ers, each round of the playoffs against the same opponent needs to win 4 games, which gives the head coach more room and opportunity to adjust, can lead the team to go further in the playoffs, is the best criterion for judging the level of the head coach, Rivers and Spollstra are the head coaches who have won the championship, and they will not easily concede defeat.
Embiid as this season's MVP candidate and scoring champion, the absolute core of the 76ers, the Heat in his absence to win two games does not prove the absolute strength of the team, after returning to the 76ers home, Embiid returned, the contest between the two sides really began, in the first two games, the Heat crazy wrapped Harden did not let him get an easy shot, even the ball is very difficult, because the Coach knows, strangle Harden, the 76ers lost their brains, just like harden in the regular season, The Heat Crazy Pack wrapped embiid like that, and the effect was remarkable.
In the third game Embiid returned, the Heat's defense ushered in the biggest test, there can only be 5 players on the court, in the end to pack Embiid or Harden, is a difficult choice, Of course, the coach wants to make both of them play hard, this game is indeed doing well, Harden and Embiid are not efficient, but the Heat's tired defense two, let the 76ers other players get a lot of empty opportunities, in addition to Harden three-point 7 shots, others three-point 26 shots 15, shooting rate as high as 57.7%, Completely cast.
In the fourth game, the Heat must find a way to limit the score of the 76ers, since they want to prevent Harden and Embiid at the same time, then they must make a trade-off between the two, compared to the huge dominance of embiid's inner line, The Coach chose to make changes in the defense of Harden, before this game, Harden averaged only 18.6 points per game in the playoffs, shooting 39.8%, three-point shooting rate of 32.1%, it seems that Harden has indeed peaked no more, compared to the previous game as long as Harden holds the ball, it is packed, In this game, we saw that the Heat had less of a bag clip for Harden, Harden's three-pointers were basically one-on-one withdrawal shots from the outside, and the efficiency of 6 out of 10 shots also invalidated the Heat's tactics.
Can only say that the Heat still underestimated Harden's singles ability, to know that even if you pull the crotch again, this season's regular season Harden singles can still get 1.06 points per round, more than 85.4% of the league's players, as Harden said: "The other side gives me what, I want something", when the opponent packs, Harden is indeed incompetent, but he can comb the team attack, when the opponent let him single, sorry, Harden can still make you pay the price, compared to before the injury, Harden's explosiveness has declined, It's an indisputable fact, but Harden is more mature now, and he doesn't care about any statistics anymore, just to make the team win.
For the Heat, the despair is far from just Harden's outbreak, but Embiid has not returned to the best state, compared to Harden's continuous downturn this season, Embiid's injury will not have a fatal impact on his state, the last two games his state has begun to pick up, until Embiid fully recovered, it is the time when the Heat are completely desperate, and the changes that the Heat can make have been tried, the effect is not ideal, it seems really difficult.