A few hours before Game 6 of his team’s first-round series in Toronto got started on Thursday night, Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers was busy watching film.
It wasn’t tape of the Raptors.
He was watching the Miami Heat.
The next challenge is now known for the 76ers, and Rivers wasted no time before beginning the process of getting ready. For the fourth time in the last five years, the 76ers are headed to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where the top-seeded Heat await.
Game 1 is Monday in Miami.
“It’s going to be a short turnaround,” Rivers said.
Yes, but a happy one. Joel Embiid — playing through a thumb injury that he’ll have until the offseason — scored 33 points, Tyrese Maxey added 25, James Harden chipped in with 22 and the 76ers rolled past the Raptors 132-97 on Thursday night to clinch the first-round series in six games.
The Heat have been off since finishing a five-game ouster of Atlanta on Tuesday.
“We’re going to go play grown men, and we’re looking forward to the challenge,” Rivers said.
Philadelphia’s players get Friday off; coaches won’t, but there’s no practice. The 76ers will hit the practice court Saturday and Sunday, then fly to Miami for Game 1. But the way Embiid sees it, the preparation for Miami — a team that switches on everything and thoroughly thwarted Atlanta in Round 1 with swarming defense — didn’t start when Rivers began watching film Thursday afternoon. Embiid figures it started in Game 1 against Toronto.
“Toronto actually prepared us extremely well for them, because they’ve got basically the same schemes,” Embiid said.
Philadelphia and Miami split four regular-season games, each going 1-1 at home. Total score of the four games: Heat 404, 76ers 400.
There are ties that bind; Heat point guard Kyle Lowry is from Philadelphia, and leading scorer Jimmy Butler is a former member of the 76ers and close with Embiid from his time there.
“It’s going to be tough,” Embiid said.
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