For the Heat, the stakes seem higher Tuesday than a typical regular-season game in late February might be.
And if the first two Heat-76ers games were a harbinger of what to expect Tuesday, the emotional highs and lows will be higher, too.
Win Tuesday and the Heat closes to within one game of No. 7 Philadelphia, while retaining a chance to win a tiebreaker with the 76ers.
Lose and the Heat (31-29) falls three games back of the 76ers (32-26), with no chance to win a two-team tiebreaker and a diminished chance of winning a three-team tiebreaker.