In a 2-0 series hole without Joel Embiid, Sixers have nothing to lose against the Heat and must play like it

MIAMI —The cliché is reality in this situation.

The 76ers have nothing to lose in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat. Down 2-0 without the NBA’s scoring leader, the Sixers are at a huge disadvantage after a 119-103 loss in Game 2 Wednesday night at FTX Arena. And they’re going to continue to be at a disadvantage until Joel Embiid returns from the concussion and orbital fracture near his right eye he suffered against the Toronto Raptors.

Without him, the Sixers have made 14 of 64 three-point attempts and have been outrebounded, 91-71.

The best way for the them to get back into this series is by having three guys score at least 25 points. They’ll also have to play loose and dangerous. They’ll have to get out in transition and score or get to the foul line.

» READ MORE: Maximum Tobias Harris is the silver lining in the Sixers’ playoff run without Joel Embiid

They’re better suited to play that way, partly because James Harden has lost a step. If he beats one defender in the halfcourt, another steps up to help out. But in transition, Harden is much more dangerous because he can beat a guy and get to the rim.

So the Sixers have to play fast and their shooters have to make shots.

Tobias Harris should continue to play well because he has the freedom to shoot. But Tyrese Maxey and Harden must continue to match his production. Maxey finished with a game-high 34 points on 12-for-22 shooting Wednesday. The Sixers need maintain the attacking style that led to a successful night.

Harris had 21 points after he scored 27 in Game 1. Meanwhile, Harden had 20 points on 6-for-15 shooting, making 1 of 5 three-pointers, to go with nine assists.

“They’re throwing double teams with him really quickly,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously, they know what we have on the floor at times.”

On this night, the Sixers needed their best perimeter defender, Matisse Thybulle, to guard Tyler Herro. But Thybulle isn’t an offensive threat.

“Now you’ve got Matisse and DeAndre Jordan or Matisse and Paul Reed on the floor, and they’re really just playing a two-man zone off those two guys,” Rivers said. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, but there are weakside actions we can do better. We’ll show James that and the team that on film.”

On the perimeter, the Sixers have to expect Georges Niang to find his groove. The reserve power forward went 0-for-7 from the field — all three-pointers — in Game 1. He followed that up with five points on 2-for-4 shooting Wednesday, including 1-for-3 on threes, before fouling out after 10 minutes of action. But look at the track record. He’s a 40.4% career shooter from three-point range, so he’s going to make clutch shots and should stay out of foul trouble.

Even Furkan Korkmaz could potentially give the Sixers a spark with his three-point shooting. He has made 3 of 6 three-pointers in two games against Miami. Maybe that statistic will provide some confidence that can translate in the remainder of the series.

The Sixers will need all the shooting they can get to beat the Heat, and Niang and Korkmaz need to be major drivers of that production.

» READ MORE: The Sixers’ Doc Rivers has no answers, and maybe that’s because there aren’t any

And why not let it fly from deep? The Sixers have nothing to lose.

They still know they have to win on their home court when the series heads to Philly for Games 3 and 4.

There was some optimism that Embiid could return in the next two games. If he doesn’t come back, the Sixers have to hope that they can shoot the ball better.

“I think there’s for sure some tweaks that we can make,” Harris said. “Specifically, offensively, for us to really find that type of rhythm out there. ... You get some more stops and you can get out in transition. That’s first.

“And then just figuring out where we can get into gaps and kick out and get some open looks. We have to stay with that. We haven’t made as many shots as we would like. But we have to know that we have great shooters on the team and guys that can make shots and stay confident and just stick with the script.”

But this is a tough task. The Sixers had an MVP finalist and all of the sudden he’s not there. Harden, their second star, isn’t who he once was. Harden probably could have put the team on his back five seasons ago, but it doesn’t look like he can carry a team anymore.

More reason why there is nothing to lose.

“You try everything,” Rivers said. “But you don’t do something stupid, either. But the whole thing is, you have to trust your guys. And you have to drown out the noise about people [who] don’t like one of your guys or two of your guys. The team likes them, and the team likes everyone on our roster. And they push for everyone to play.”

Rivers is receiving criticism for starting DeAndre Jordan over Paul Reed in Embiid’s absence.

The Sixers went with the 6-foot-11 Jordan over the 6-9 Reed because of his size. The team also wanted to keep Reed out of foul trouble.

“We’ve just got to get the right group,” Rivers said. “When you have your main guy out, Joel’s not just the main guy, he’s the leading scorer in the NBA. So when you have that out, you keep searching. And I think in a game, it’s going to be three different times there’s a lineup I’m going to stick with where you wanted do that when Joel was playing.”

And in the process, the key is to remain upbeat regardless of the previous games’ outcomes. Rivers said his job is to keep his players steady, keep them aware of what they should do and what’s good for the team. He knows the series can turn in an instant. One game a team can be down and out, but a win in the next game can put them back in the series.

“Overall, you have to just play your best game and do all your jobs the best way,” he said. “If you do that, you have a chance to win.”