Philadelphia @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 14, 2018 ) Miami 102, Philadelphia 104

The Miami Heat are sitting in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and are hoping a convincing win over the Memphis Grizzlies snapped the team out of a recent funk. The Philadelphia 76ers, who visit the Heat on Tuesday, are one spot up in the No. 7 hole in the East and had a seven-game winning streak come to an end at Washington on Sunday.

Miami dropped eight of nine before coming through with a 115-89 win over the Grizzlies on Saturday, a stretch that included a pair of losses at Philadelphia. "It's kind of a relief a little bit," point guard Goran Dragic. "The last 17 games have been close games. Finally, we put together a great game where we were up 20 points. We've started the homestand well. Hopefully we'll continue that Tuesday." Sunday's loss marked the start of a stretch of seven of eight on the road for Philadelphia, which is gunning for homecourt advantage in the playoffs. "The last two weeks, we talked all the time about home court advantage, and how it is important to finish with wins at home, how it is important after the Eagles (winning the Super Bowl), after that kind of energy to use it and play at home," 76ers forward Dario Saric told the team's website. "Now that we are away, we need to focus. We need to play away games, too. That is part of the NBA. I hope we will understand how to play, and next game be ready to beat Miami."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE 76ERS (32-26): Philadelphia All-Star center Joel Embiid only recently started playing in back-to-back games and came through a stretch of three games in four nights coming out of the break without a problem. The 23-year-old averaged 27.6 points on 55.6 percent shooting and 12.3 rebounds in three consecutive double-doubles. Embiid sat out a 104-102 win over Miami on Feb. 14 but collected 17 points and 11 boards when the 76ers burned the Heat 103-97 on Feb. 2.

ABOUT THE HEAT (31-29): Miami shooting guard Tyler Johnson went nine straight games without hitting at least half of his shots before going 4-of-7 in the loss at Philadelphia on Feb. 14. Johnson carried that shooting over the break and is 12-of-22 from the floor in the last two games. "I just had to take a long look at myself over the break -- what was working, what wasn't working," Johnson told reporters. "I think before the break I was just settling for too many jumpers, trying to shoot my way out of a funk instead of doing what I do best, which is being an attacker and getting other people involved."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Heat SG Dwyane Wade is averaging 8.6 points on 34.5 percent shooting in five games since rejoining the team at the trade deadline.

2. 76ers SG JJ Redick is 8-of-30 from 3-point range over the last four games.

3. Philadelphia lost in its two trips to Miami last season by an average of 25 points.

PREDICTION: 76ers 103, Heat 98