Miami @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 23, 2019 ) Miami 86, Philadelphia 113

The Philadelphia 76ers are the lone team remaining in the NBA with an unblemished home record and will put that on the line when they host the Miami Heat on Wednesday. The 76ers own a 14-0 record in their own arena and are winners of 13 of the last 16 overall, though they are coming off a 109-89 loss at Brooklyn on Sunday.

Philadelphia and its fans should be in top form on Wednesday with the return of swingman Jimmy Butler, who signed with Miami in the offseason after spending most of last season in Philadelphia. Butler was consistently booed by the fans and was held to 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting while his replacement in the 76ers' starting lineup - and former member of the Heat - Josh Richardson scored 32 points in Philadelphia's 113-86 home win over the Heat on Nov. 23. Richardson managed 11 points in Sunday's loss at Brooklyn and the 76ers are hoping All-Star center Joel Embiid, who sat out the loss with an illness, can take the court on Wednesday. Butler has his new team battling Philadelphia in the top half of the East, but Miami is just 8-7 on the road after dropping a 118-111 decision at Memphis on Monday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS Sun (Miami), NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE HEAT (19-8): Miami is surrendering an average of 117.5 points while going 2-2 in its last four games and allowed Memphis to scored 73 points in the first half on Monday. "We just didn't guard nobody, man, from the beginning of the game," Butler told reporters. "That's the direction that we're trending in right now. I feel like we've got to take it personally. That doesn't mean enough to us right now, to man up and take the challenge. We deserved it." Butler collected 25 points and eight assists in the loss and is averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 assists and 6.4 rebounds in 23 games for his new team.

ABOUT THE 76ERS (20-8): Embiid was enjoying a string of three consecutive double-doubles before sitting out Sunday and the team could use his presence in the middle after surrendering 64 points in the paint in Sunday's setback. Al Horford (knee) returned from a two-game absence on Sunday and took over at center but struggled to 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting (0-of-6 from 3-point range) in 27 minutes. "Physically, I felt fine, definitely a little off timing, rhythm, stuff like that," Horford told the Philadelphia Inquirer after the loss. "I felt good about a lot of my possessions offensively, shots didn't go down the way I expected them and will get back to work tomorrow and get ready for the next one."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. 76ers SG Matisse Thybulle (illness) left Sunday's game and is day-to-day.

2. Heat SF Justise Winslow (back) missed the last six games and is not traveling with the team.

3. Philadelphia took three of the last four regular-season meetings.

PREDICTION: 76ers 108, Heat 101