Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers: Preview, Watch/Listen/Odds

The Miami Heat cruised, mostly, to victory over the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on Friday. On Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers, things won’t be so easy.

The Miami Heat completed the first leg of their back to back set of road games successfully on Friday, as they took down the Chicago Bulls in the United Center. A homecoming of sorts for Jimmy Butler and Kendrick Nunn, with Nunn being from Chicago and Butler having played the first several years of his NBA career in the city and building, they didn’t let the nostalgia or the warm and fuzzy feelings get in the way of accomplishing the mission at hand.

They jumped right on the Bulls, getting out to a double-digit lead of 15 or more before the Bulls would even score a point, with Kendrick Nunn leading the way with at least 10 points of his own before the Bulls would make a single bucket. It continued this way all night and although the Chicago Bulls would do enough to be able to say that they tried to make it a game in the end, the Miami Heat would just end up being too much to handle.

Ironically and/or appropriately enough, the Heat were led in scoring by both Nunn and Butler. Kendrick Nunn finished with 21 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Jimmy Butler closed the game with 27 points, five rebounds, and seven assists of his own.

While this game was easy enough, the Miami Heat face a vastly more daunting test on Saturday. They will travel to Philadelphia to face their conference rivals, foes, and fellow contenders in the 76ers in the Wells Fargo Center.

This will be Jimmy Butler’s first return game to a place that he called home for a short while during last season, while also renewing a rivalry and providing the next installment of what is sure to be a fun series of games this season. Former Miami Heat swingman Josh Richardson, who now plays for the 76ers, was held out during the 6ers Friday contest and is listed as a game-time decision for Saturday. Other than that, here is everything else you need to know about Saturday’s contest.