PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The first piece of the 76ers’ offseason is set: Doc Rivers will return to coach next season, early exits and all. Another question mark seems somewhat settled, James Harden wants to stay in Philly and the Sixers want him back.
MIAMI (AP) — Shots fell again for the Miami Heat. They kept Joel Embiid and James Harden in check. Their coach got an in-game massage from DJ Khaled.
Yes, really.
It was that sort of night for the Heat, who — even without everyone getting shoulder rubs — are feeling pretty good about their playoff prospects again.
NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn Nets guard Seth Curry had arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle Monday and is expected to be ready for training camp in the fall.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden took a sensational step forward in the postseason for the 76ers with step-back 3s that rekindled his dominant form. Joel Embiid is playing better by the game, and the MVP finalist might have his best basketball ahead.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid spent the week groggy from a concussion. His busted thumb needs surgery.
MVP form? Not yet. But Embiid wore his black mask and injected the 76ers — and a skittish fanbase - with revitalized championship aspirations.
Ben Simmons underwent what was determined to be a successful back surgery in Los Angeles on Thursday. The Brooklyn Nets are hoping that he is fully recovered before the start of training camp this fall.
MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo caught a lob for an alley-oop dunk midway through the fourth quarter, then threw a lob to Jimmy Butler for another dunk about a minute later.
Both were very easy.
Joel Embiid could complicate those plays going forward — and the Miami Heat are heading north expecting that he might be waiting for them.
MIAMI (AP) — There’s nobody on the Miami Heat roster that knows Philadelphia guard James Harden better than P.J. Tucker.
They got further acquainted in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Preview capsule for the Miami-Philadelphia Eastern Conference semifinal series that starts Sunday:
No. 1 MIAMI HEAT (53-29, 4-1) vs. No. 4 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (51-31, 4-2)
A few hours before Game 6 of his team’s first-round series in Toronto got started on Thursday night, Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers was busy watching film.
TORONTO (AP) — James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers are headed for the second round, not home for Game 7.
Joel Embiid had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Harden added 22 points and 15 assists and the 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 132-97 in Game 6 to end their first-round series Thursday night.
NEW YORK (AP) — With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets had expectations of being the last team standing.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pascal Siakam gave a pregame pep talk to keep the Raptors calm in a hostile Philly environment where they already lost twice and fell into a playoff hole.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are struggling against Boston, and Ben Simmons won't be available to help them Monday night with the Brooklyn Nets' season on the brink.
Ben Simmons has been ruled out of Game 4 of Brooklyn's playoff series against Boston, making it possible he won't play at all this season.
The Nets listed Simmons as out Sunday on the injury report for the game Monday night, when they will be trying to avoid a sweep by the Celtics.
TORONTO (AP) — Joel Embiid made a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 104-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night and a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey had Sixers fans roaring "Maxey! Maxey! Maxey!” after each electrifying play -- and he crammed a season’s worth into the breakout game of his young career. He wowed on whirlwind layups, connected on 3-pointers from Curry-range and did whatever he desired at all times as he dismantled the Raptors.
BOSTON (AP) — For most of the season, the spotlight was on everyone except the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
That was until Boston and new coach Ime Udoka put things together down the stretch with a brand built on defense, buoyed by All-Star Jayson Tatum’s nightly scoring punch.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving cost himself millions of dollars in salary. He may have cost the Brooklyn Nets any realistic chance of winning the NBA title.
His decision not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus put him on center stage of the debate and left him ineligible to play in New York for most of the season.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden says he’s “ready to hoop.”
The Philadelphia 76ers sure hope The Beard is good to go — not just for the opening-round Eastern Conference series against Toronto — but for a deep run into June.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid and James Harden are off to Toronto for the playoffs. Defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle is staying behind for the road games; he's not fully vaccinated and barred from entering Canada.
TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam had 37 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for his third career triple-double, Gary Trent Jr. scored 30 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-114 on Thursday night.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $15,000 by the NBA for criticizing the officials following Sunday night's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Upset by inconsistency in calls and the Sixers getting 42 free throws, Bickerstaff said the game “was taken” from the Cavs, who are trying to hold onto the No.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Joel Embiid had 44 points and 17 rebounds, James Harden recorded his second triple-double with Philadelphia and the 76ers locked up a playoff spot with a 112-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Joel Embiid did plenty of damage on his own. The Cavaliers, though, felt the big man got some unwarranted help.
Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff was highly critical of the officiating after Embiid scored 44 points — and made 20 trips to the free throw line — in Philadelphia's 112-108 win over the Cavs on Sunday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid had 29 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 144-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
DETROIT (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 10 of his 20 points in the final 4:23 as the Detroit Pistons pulled away down the stretch and beat the Philadelphia 76ers 102-94 on Thursday night.
“It is huge for us to see that we can play at this level and play well enough to beat a team like Philly,” Bey said.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points and had a game-deciding block of Joel Embiid in the final seconds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 118-116 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.
PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 35 points, Chris Paul had 19 points and 14 assists and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns won their eighth straight game, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 114-104 on Sunday.
PHOENIX (AP) — Jae Crowder's wide-open 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter Sunday sealed yet another win for the Phoenix Suns, who continue to pile up victories even though they've accomplished just about everything possible in an NBA regular season.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even after seeing James Harden and Joel Embiid record double-doubles in a convincing 25-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night, Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers doesn't think his team is at its best yet.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joel Embiid had 30 points and 10 rebounds, James Harden added 24 points and the Philadelphia 76ers hung on for a 126-121 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James on Wednesday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, including nine in a row during a crucial stretch, and the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers — without stars Joel Embiid and James Harden — beat the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat 113-106 on Monday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey told teammate Joel Embiid he’d step up in his absence. Then, Maxey took over the game and the fans’ chants normally reserved for the 76ers' star center.
Maxey scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, including nine in a row during a crucial stretch, and short-handed Philadelphia — without Embiid and James Harden — beat the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat 113-106 on Monday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and James Harden were ruled out for Monday night’s Eastern Conference showdown against the Miami Heat due to nagging injuries.
Embiid, who entered Monday tied with LeBron James for the NBA lead in scoring (29.8 ppg), is nursing back soreness.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The 76ers acquired James Harden to score big baskets when the game is on the line.
He had the ball and tried, tried and tried again over the final 2:25 — and a Raptors team fighting for an Eastern Conference playoff spot kept Harden in check.
PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 28 points and the Phoenix Suns moved closer to wrapping up the NBA’s best regular-season record, routing the Chicago Bulls 129-102 on Friday night.
At a franchise-best 57-14 through 71 games, the Suns moved nine-games ahead of second-place Memphis with 11 games left.
NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Curry came back and some of the burden on Kevin Durant went away.
Durant scored 38 points, Curry returned to the lineup with seven 3-pointers in his best game as a Net, and Brooklyn rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-123 on Friday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 32 points, James Harden had 24 points and 13 assists and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-101 on Friday night.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Joel Embiid had 35 points and 17 rebounds, James Harden scored 21 points and added 11 assists, and the Philadelphia 76ers edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-114 on Wednesday night.
Embiid was a game-time decision with a sore back, but showed no signs of the injury on his 28th birthday.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons had an epidural this week that the Brooklyn Nets hope will help improve his back pain so he can play sometime this season.
Coach Steve Nash said Wednesday that Simmons had the injection while the Nets were in Orlando, where they beat the Magic on Tuesday night.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers brought out the best in the Orlando Magic.
Embiid had 35 points and 16 rebounds and the 76ers kept rallying, finally beating Orlando 116-114 in overtime Sunday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 25 points in Brooklyn’s dominating first half in the Nets’ 129-100 blowout victory over the 76ers on Thursday night in Ben Simmons’ much-hyped return to Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The 76ers fans came to boo Ben Simmons. They left booing their own team.
Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 25 points in Brooklyn’s dominating first half in the Nets’ 129-100 blowout victory over the 76ers on Thursday night in Simmons’ much-hyped return to Philadelphia.
Ben Simmons will be on the bench, boos raining down from all corners of his old home.
James Harden and Kyrie Irving will go head-to-head on the court, their explosive partnership having flamed out in just 13 months.