The Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat hope Friday wins result in momentum rather than exhausted energy levels when they meet Saturday night in South Florida.
The Eastern Conference contenders brushed aside serious challenges Friday, the 76ers holding off the visiting Boston Celtics 111-99, while the host Heat were rallying past the Atlanta Hawks 124-118.
Philadelphia will be looking for a ninth win in its last 10 games and Miami a fifth straight when the clubs, who have met in the Eastern playoffs twice in the past 10 years, square off for a second time this season.
The Heat prevailed in the earlier meeting 101-96 despite missing Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Starting Dewayne Dedmon at center, Miami held Joel Embiid to 17 points and rode Gabe Vincent’s 26 points to the front-running win.
Miami got 23 points from Butler, 12 from Dedmon in a backup role and a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double from new starting center Omer Yurtseven in Friday’s win over Atlanta, completing a two-game…