PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 5 because of a sore right knee. Embiid had an MRI on Tuesday and his status will be decided before Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the decision on his status was not made official. Embiid was listed as doubtful on the NBA injury report and Seth Curry (left ankle) and George Hill (left knee) are both probable. The Sixers lead the Wizards 3-1 in the first-round Eastern Conference series. Game 5 is in Philadelphia in front of an expected first full house of the season. Philadelphia was poised for its first sweep since 1985 before Embiid was hurt and the Wizards rallied to win behind 27 points from Bradley Beal. The NBA MVP finalist wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington’s Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Philadelphia center Joel Embiid headed to the locker room late in the first quarter of Game 4 of the 76ers' Eastern Conference playoff series against the Washington Wizards after taking a hard fall and later was ruled out for the rest of the night because of a sore right knee. The Sixers posted on Twitter at halftime that Embiid would not return because of the knee. Mike Scott took Embiid’s place in the lineup to begin the second half. Embiid did not appear at all in the second quarter, which ended with the 76ers ahead 61-60. He had eight points and six rebounds in 11 minutes when he departed. The NBA MVP finalist wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington's Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first quarter. After staying down for a moment, a wincing Embiid rose and then put his hand on his lower right back. He remained in the game for the time being, before eventually heading to the locker room in the last minute of the period. Embiid came into the night averaging more than a point per minute in the best-of-seven series, which Philadelphia led 3-0. He scored a postseason career-high 36 points in 28 minutes in a 29-point win for the 76ers in Game 3 on Saturday ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are set to play Saturday without All-Stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and will have the NBA minimum eight players active as the team deals with injuries and COVID-19 concerns. Sixers guard Seth Curry learned of a positive COVID-19 test while the team played Thursday in Brooklyn, forcing the team to spend an extra day in New York for additional testing. Coach Doc Rivers said before the game against Denver the Sixers will have seven players available and that injured forward Mike Scott will be active but not play. Rivers expressed concern the Sixers were even playing a game so short-handed and he worried about "our players' health on the floor.” The players available are: Danny Green, Dwight Howard, Tyrese Maxey, Tony Bradley, Isaiah Joe, Dakota Mathias and Paul Reed. Embiid, Simmons, Curry and Tobias Harris are the missing starters in the lineup. Rivers said Simmons has a left knee injury and Embiid is nursing a sore back. “Ben in the Brooklyn game had some knee stiffness,” Rivers said. “So we almost probably knew after the game that he wouldn’t play tonight. And then Joel started complaining about his back, that started yesterday. And we didn’t know if he was playing or not but honestly, with the minutes we would have to ask, it would be insane to play him tonight.” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he needs to make sure his team would not "relax” against an opponent without its best players.

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown is encouraged by the steps the NBA is taking to connect with its players’ desire to support social justice causes.He also wants to see the league go further with some of those plans as it prepares to restart the season later this month in Florida. One of the Celtics’ young stars, the 23-year-old has been one of the most outspoken voices among players since the NBA paused its season in March. From encouraging young Americans to take COVID-19 seriously, to driving 15 hours from Boston in May to lead a protest march in the days after the release of the video of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Brown has actively used social media to raise awareness on several fronts to his more than 1.6 million followers on Twitter and Instagram. While he said Monday that he initially considered not playing in Orlando because of the pandemic and family concerns, he ultimately decided the opportunity to amplify his voice on the NBA’s worldwide stage won out. “Once I thought about... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid needs more surgery, this time for a torn ligament in a finger in his left hand, the latest setback in the injury-riddled career of the Philadelphia 76ers' All-Star center.Embiid, averaging 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds in 31 games this season, will have surgery Friday and will be evaluated in one to two weeks.He has never played more than 64 games in a season and won't again this season after he was hurt Monday night in a victory over Oklahoma City. Embiid injured the radial collateral ligament in the ring finger in the first half, a grotesque injury that made teammate Ben Simmons say “I nearly threw up" when he saw the finger.Embiid's finger overlapped his pinkie to the point that it seemed he had his fingers crossed. He played most of the game with his finger taped and said he "couldn't go up with two hands.""There were a couple of times I could have grabbed with both hands but I just couldn't. I just kept tapping it," Embiid said Monday.The Sixers had... [More]

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Mike Scott would rather party with 76ers fans at an NBA championship parade than scuffle with Eagles fans at a stadium parking lot.Scott has fashioned himself a Philly folk hero since he was acquired in a February trade: he's scooped ice cream, crashed a wedding, snapped selfies, engaged with fans on Twitter and inspired his cult "Hive" fan club to get tattooed.Scott found one fan event that wasn't so friendly when the Virginia native showed up earlier this month wearing a Redskins jersey to an Eagles tailgate before a game against Washington. Scott was caught on tape throwing a punch at a fan from a group of Eagles supporters the Sixers forward said used slurs to stir him up.Scott said he should have walked away from the fight."I definitely have to be the bigger person and it should have never got to that point," he said. "I definitely should have walked away. I didn't. He was talking crazy and took it to the next level so I had to see if he'd match that energy. Y'all... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jimmy Butler has been the adult in the gym for the 76ers.Figuratively speaking of course.That is Philadelphia coach Brett Brown's way of saying that Butler has delivered when the Sixers really needed him. The four-time All-Star was clutch in the 76ers taking home-court advantage from Toronto with 30 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in Game 2.Now with the Eastern Conference semifinal tied at 1-1, the series shifts to Philadelphia for Thursday' Game 3.Butler may be the third option at times on a team with All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, but Butler was the difference Tuesday in the 76ers getting their first win in Toronto since Nov. 10, 2012."It's going to be hard to shut everybody down," Butler said. "But at the same token, they've got guys that can do the same thing. As much as we talk about the (star) power both teams have, it's all about making the others take the most contested shots, rebound, not turn the ball over and guard."Basketball 101.Butler's playoff... [More]

Philadelphia is already in trouble in its Eastern Conference semifinal series against Toronto, and 76ers coach Brett Brown might be one of the biggest reasons why.It's not that Brown made coaching mistakes in Game 1.Instead, he might have not made enough mistakes in 2012 and 2013.Let's explain: Kawhi Leonard's first two years in San Antonio were Brown's last two years as an assistant for the Spurs. When Brown left Gregg Popovich's staff to take over as coach of the 76ers after the 2012-13 season, he was well aware that Leonard was on the path to becoming something special. And now, after seeing Leonard put up 45 points in Toronto's 108-95 victory in Game 1 of this series, it's up to Brown to figure out how to slow that superstar when the series resumes with Game 2 on the Raptors' home floor Monday night."Every year, he gets more dominant," Brown said. "Even when I came to Philadelphia, those years that I was in Philadelphia looking in the rear-view mirror of him evolving under Pop and in... [More]

Philadelphia is already in trouble in its Eastern Conference semifinal series against Toronto, and 76ers coach Brett Brown might be one of the biggest reasons why.It's not that Brown made coaching mistakes in Game 1.Instead, he might have not made enough mistakes in 2012 and 2013.Let's explain: Kawhi Leonard's first two years in San Antonio were Brown's last two years as an assistant for the Spurs. When Brown left Gregg Popovich's staff to take over as coach of the 76ers after the 2012-13 season, he was well aware that Leonard was on the path to becoming something special. And now, after seeing Leonard put up 45 points in Game 1 of this 76ers-Raptors series — a 108-95 win by Toronto — it's up to Brown to figure out how to slow that superstar when the series resumes with Game 2 on the Raptors' home floor Monday night."Every year, he gets more dominant," Brown said. "Even when I came to Philadelphia, those years that I was in Philadelphia looking in the rear-view mirror of him evolving under... [More]

DENVER (AP) — No stranger to the weight that accompanies Game 7s , DeMar DeRozan offered one overly basic reminder to his team."Us versus them," the San Antonio guard said.DeRozan's point : It's not his team playing a hostile crowd when the Spurs face the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center in the first-round series finale Saturday.Still, the second-seeded Nuggets went a league-best 34-7 at home in the regular season behind all that noise."Go out there and play free, play smart," said DeRozan, whose team forced a winner-moves-on scenario with a 120-103 victory Thursday in San Antonio. "We can't get caught up in the crowd."The Spurs are packing enough outfits for a week's worth of travel — just in case. Should they win, it's off to Portland to start the Western Conference semifinals. Should they lose, the offseason begins."We're not going to pack for no reason," Spurs forward Rudy Gay said. "If I'm going to pack my clothes, I'm going to use them."That's the sort of swagger the Spurs bring to... [More]

DENVER (AP) — No stranger to the weight that accompanies Game 7s , DeMar DeRozan offered one overly basic reminder to his team."Us versus them," the San Antonio guard said.DeRozan's point : It's not his team playing a hostile crowd when the Spurs face the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center in the first-round series finale Saturday.Still, the second-seeded Nuggets went a league-best 34-7 at home in the regular season behind all that noise."Go out there and play free, play smart," said DeRozan, whose team forced a winner-moves-on scenario with a 120-103 victory Thursday in San Antonio. "We can't get caught up in the crowd."The Spurs are packing enough outfits for a week's worth of travel — just in case. Should they win, it's off to Portland to start the Western Conference semifinals. Should they lose, the offseason begins."We're not going to pack for no reason," Spurs forward Rudy Gay said. "If I'm going to pack my clothes, I'm going to use them."That's the sort of swagger the Spurs bring to... [More]

Just a few months ago, Enes Kanter was toiling for a New York Knicks team that was heading nowhere.Now, he's a significant contributor for a Portland Trail Blazers team heading to the Western Conference semifinals.Kanter is one of several players starring in their supporting roles and helped put their respective teams in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Others have helped put their teams on the brink of advancing.The Knicks waived Kanter after the trade deadline in February and Portland swooped in to pick him up. The 6-foot-11 center stepped in as a starter for the Trail Blazers after Jusuf Nurkic suffered a leg injury. The Blazers' playoff hopes looked bleak after Nurkic went down, but Kanter has taken full advantage of his new situation. Kanter averaged 13.2 points and 10.2 rebounds in the Trail Blazers' 4-1 series win against Oklahoma City."I would like to appreciate the teams that didn't pick me," Kanter said after Portland's clinching Game 5 win on Thursday night. "I tried to... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tobias Harris drove the lane, tossed up a runner and buried the winner in what turned out to be his final shot for the Los Angeles Clippers.His packed bags needed a new destination. Next stop, Philadelphia.The 26-year-old Harris is headed to the 76ers as part of a late-night deal that suddenly gives the team the best starting five in the Eastern Conference and stamped them as legitimate title contenders.Harris is ready for the move — he tweeted early Wednesday a GIF from the opening credits of the 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" showing Will Smith's character playing basketball.The Sixers can only hope this trade turns into a story all about how the East got flipped-turned upside down.They paid a steep price for the free agent: Sensational rookie guard Landry Shamet and four draft picks are headed to the Clippers. Philadelphia traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to Los Angeles, too.The Sixers also acquired center Boban Marjanovic and forward Mike... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tobias Harris drove the lane, tossed up a runner and buried the winner in what turned out to be his final shot for the Los Angeles Clippers.His packed bags needed a new destination. Next stop, Philadelphia.The 26-year-old Harris is headed to the 76ers as part of a late-night deal that suddenly gives the team the best starting five in the Eastern Conference and stamped them as legitimate title contenders.Harris is ready for the move — he tweeted early Wednesday a GIF from the opening credits of the 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" showing Will Smith's character playing basketball.The Sixers can only hope this trade turns into a story all about how the East got flipped-turned upside down.They paid a steep price for the free agent: Sensational rookie guard Landry Shamet and four draft picks are headed to the Clippers. Philadelphia traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to Los Angeles, too.The Sixers also acquired center Boban Marjanovic and forward Mike... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tobias Harris drove the lane, tossed up a runner and buried the winner in what turned out to be his final shot for the Los Angeles Clippers.His packed bags needed a new destination. Next stop, Philadelphia.The 26-year-old Harris is headed to the 76ers as part of a late-night deal that suddenly gives the team the best starting five in the Eastern Conference and stamped them as legitimate title contenders.Harris is ready for the move — he tweeted early Wednesday a GIF from the opening credits of the 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" showing Will Smith's character playing basketball.The Sixers can only hope this trade turns into a story all about how the East got flipped-turned upside down.They paid a steep price for the free agent: Sensational rookie guard Landry Shamet and four draft picks are headed to the Clippers. Philadelphia also traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to Los Angeles.A person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press the... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to acquire Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris as the centerpiece of a six-player, four-draft pick trade they hope can put them over the top in the East.A person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press the Sixers also acquired center Boban Marjanovic and forward Mike Scott as part of the deal. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced.Harris is ready for the move — he tweeted early Wednesday a GIF from the opening credits of the 1990s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" showing Will Smith's character playing basketball.The Clippers restocked the roster with pieces for the future. The Sixers sent rookie guard Landry Shamet and four draft picks to the Clippers. Philadelphia also traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to Los Angeles.The 26-year-old Harris is having a breakout season with the Clippers. He averages 20.9 points and shoots nearly 50 percent... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to acquire Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris as the centerpiece of a six-player, four-draft pick trade they hope can put them over the top in the East.A person familiar with the trade said the Sixers also acquired center Boban Marjanovic and forward Mike Scott as part of the deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced.Harris is ready for the move — he tweeted early Wednesday a GIF from the opening credits of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."The Clippers restocked the roster with pieces for the future. The Sixers sent rookie guard Landry Shamet and four draft picks to the Clippers. The Sixers also traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to the Clippers.The 26-year-old Harris is having a breakout season with the Clippers. He averages 20.7 points and shoots 42 percent from 3-point range and will start with All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to acquire Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris as the centerpiece of a six-player, four-draft pick trade they hope can put them over the top in the East.A person familiar with the trade says the Sixers also acquired center Boban Marjanovic and forward Mike Scott as part of the deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced.The Clippers restocked the roster with pieces for the future. The Sixers sent rookie guard Landry Shamet and four draft picks to the Clippers. The Sixers also traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to the Clippers.The 26-year-old Harris is having a breakout season with the Clippers. He averages 20.7 points and shoots 42 percent from 3-point range and will start with All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick to form one of the top starting fives in the Eastern Conference.Sixers general manager Elton Brand traded for Butler,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The best NBA team in Los Angeles right now isn't the one with LeBron James.It's the no-name Clippers.Going into Wednesday, the Clippers were fourth in the rugged Western Conference at 8-5, with overtime wins against defending NBA champion Golden State and Milwaukee, as well as Oklahoma City and Houston (twice)."We're going to keep on getting better," leading scorer Tobias Harris said. "We've showed we can play with the best of them."While they don't have talent on par with those teams, the Clippers are transitioning to a new era with a mix of veterans like Danilo Gallinari, Harris, Marcin Gortat and Patrick Beverley. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has cracked the starting lineup as a rookie point guard. Montrezl Harrell brings a contagious energy off the bench.In a win over Washington, they had a franchise-record nine players score in double figures."They seem to all have a chip on their shoulder because a lot of those guys are really good players but they might not get the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Big Three have cleared out and Lob City is no more.For the first time in 10 years, the Los Angeles Clippers will soon begin a season without DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin or Chris Paul on the roster.So just who is this team?Well, coach Doc Rivers isn't sure yet.But Patrick Beverley offers a bold take: Clamp City."You got two of the best on-ball defenders in the league," he said, referring to himself and Avery Bradley. "We can be a defensive juggernaut."Despite coming off a season in which the team missed the playoffs for the first time in his five-year tenure and LeBron James joining the Lakers, Rivers feels good about the Clippers' future."This is the healthiest this franchise has been," the coach said Monday. "We never had flexibility and now we have flexibility. We have an owner who is willing to do whatever it takes."Heck, even All-Star Jimmy Butler of Minnesota is saying he'd like to be a Clipper.And Luc Mbah a Moute decided to return as a free agent, impressed... [More]