Philadelphia 76ers must win Game 5 against the Miami Heat

After beginning the series without superstar Joel Embiid and getting down 0-2 early in this series against the Miami Heat, the Philadelphia 76ers have found a way to fight back. The series is now tied 2-2 with Game 5 being played in Miami.

The Sixers only need to win two out of the next three games to advance to the conference finals. However, coming out with a victory on the road in Game 5 is a must if the Sixers want a real shot at winning this second round matchup.

Game 5 is a must-win matchup for the Philadelphia 76ers.

There are a couple of reasons why they need to win Game 5 on the road. The first and most important is that it’s easier to win Game 5  on the road versus Game 7 as I’ve previously written about. Winning playoff games on the road is hard in general, but especially a Game 7.

The other thing to consider is that James Harden ended Game 4 on a high note with 31 points. The Sixers need to ride that hot hand in Game 5 as well. Nothing builds confidence by establishing a lead early in a game.

Lastly, due to MVP going to Nikola Jokic yet again, fans better believe Joel Embiid will come out Game 5 to make the statement why he deserved the award. The Heat doesn’t have an answer for Embiid despite him not being 100.0 percent healthy. Now that he has the extra motivation, the Heat should be fearful of a home loss.

The Philadelphia 76ers need to win Game 5 if they want a realistic shot to win this series and now they have factors regarding their stars in their favor.