The Heat continue their push to secure the top spot in the Eastern Conference this evening as they face the Philadelphia 76ers in Miami. The two squads, which are presently ranked third and sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, are scheduled to take the floor at the AmericanAirlines Arena at 7:30pm ET. NBA Point Spreads have the Heat listed as a -8 home favorite and the Over/Under set at 195.5.
Philadelphia returned home to the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night after a 3-3 road swing to beat the Hawks 
105-100. The victory improved the 76ers record to 37-34 on the season put them 2.5 games ahead of the reeling Knicks both in the Atlantic and Eastern Conference standings.
Philly, which has won seven of its last 11 games, had seven players score in double figures in the win over Atlanta. Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young turned in big performances off the bench as the two reserves scored 17 and 16 points respectively. Andre Iguodala was the high scorer among the 76ers starters, posting 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Elton Brand produced his second double double in the last four games with a 13 point, 11 rebound night.
Tonight's game marks the third and final meeting of the season between these two teams. Miami won the first two outings, beating Philly 97-87 at the Wells Fargo Arena on October 27th and 99-90 at South Beach on November 26th. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 43 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists in the second get together.
Miami, which has won six in a row and eight of its last 10 against the 76ers (Under 6-3-1), recorded its third straight win on Wednesday night to improve its record to 49-22. The Heat, winners in six of their last seven games, hit 32-of-39 from the charity stripe and limited the Pistons to 13 fourth quarter points in beating Detroit 100-94 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Chris Bosh and Wade, who combined to go 21-of-24 from the foul line, led the team with 23 and 24 points respectively. James added 19 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
The Heat recent surge has them just 2.5 games back of the Bulls in the race for the top seed in the East; Miami also trails Boston by a 1.5 games. Orlando, which has won four straight games, remains 3.5 games behind the Heat in the Southeast standings.
Philadelphia vs Miami NBA Point Spreads March 25th, 2011:
Philadelphia 76ers +8 (-110), Over 195.5 (-110), +325 (Moneyline)
Miami Heat -8 (-110), Under 195.5 (-110), -370 (Moneyline)
