2. Shooting
The Sixers’ shooting fell off a cliff in game two, as they were a combined 7-36 from deep. Marco Belinelli and Dario Saric were the only Sixers to hit multiple three-point shots, while J.J. Redick hit just one of his seven attempts.
People have called the Sixers’ shooting unsustainable for weeks, but this kind of dud was unexpected. It’s always hard to bounce back on the road, but I doubt the Sixers shoot this poorly again. If they do, I’d at least like some forewarning so I don’t have to watch it again.
With the Heat pressing Simmons and doing an impressive job sticking to shooters, the offense was stagnant for most of the evening. There isn’t much analysis needed here; the Sixers just have to start hitting shots again.
Obviously, if Embiid returns, his post presence could help open up certain things on the perimeter. A lot of Brett Brown’s actions — especially for Redick and Belinelli — revolve around JoJo in some fashion.