It only took their second game of the NBA playoffs for the 76ers to encounter their first dose of resistance this postseason.
After cruising to a 1-0 lead over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference first-round series, the Sixers were humbled at home in a Game 2 loss. They then had to battle through games more like barroom brawls to win two on the road. In Game 5, the Sixers are expecting another unflinching effort from a Heat squad that isn’t backing down despite facing a 3-1 deficit.
“You don’t have to be a wise man to know what is about to happen,” coach Brett Brown said, “What style of play they are going to try to play, especially when they are going to go home with their unable to find a win.