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Tag: Nick Nurse

  • Nick Nurse says ‘there’s some chance’ Joel Embiid plays in Sixers’ preseason finale

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    CAMDEN, N.J. — As the doors of the Sixers’ practice facility opened to media members for the final moments of the team’s practice on Tuesday, many of the team’s key pieces were going through the intense one-on-one sessions that have become very competitive of late.

    Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have dominated those outings, usually going up against Kelly Oubre Jr., Justin Edwards and VJ Edgecombe, among others.

    On Tuesday, however, a much larger presence had been added to the mix: Joel Embiid, who steamrolled just about everybody. Embiid and George had some particularly competitive reps, and the group erupted when Maxey found a way to overcome a massive size disadvantage en route to a stop. But more often than not, Embiid had his way.

    Oubre said those sessions build camaraderie as players are “sharpening each other’s tools” and figuring out different methods of attack against much different players.

    “Obviously,” Oubre said, “the cheat code was out there today.”

    Embiid responded fine to the first live action he has participated in publicly since February, when he played in the Sixers’ Blue X White Scrimmage on Sunday, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. Is it possible that Embiid makes an appearance in the team’s final preseason game, a home contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night?

    “I think there’s some chance, yeah,” Nurse said. “I don’t think we’re there yet. It’s a little early in the week to decide. But I think it still could go either way. We’ve got some thresholds to get over yet, I think, before we get to that point.”

    The last time Embiid appeared in a preseason game was in 2023, when he played 33 minutes in the Sixers’ preseason finale. It was the only time Embiid suited up for an exhibition that year, and one of three preseason games he has played in during the last five years.

    Even before a nightmarish 2024-25 season created significant doubt surrounding Embiid’s availability, the Sixers have been cautious about using Embiid in games that do not count for anything. After Embiid’s renewed efforts to preach the importance of patience, it stands to reason that if he does play on Friday, it would not be a product of him rushing his recovery process.

    MORE: Sixers developing pairing of Embiid & Adem Bona; time to worry about Edwards?

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Joel Embiid plays in first public live action since February at Sixers scrimmage: ‘Good progression day for him’

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    WILMINGTON, Del. — Normally, the Sixers’ annual Blue X White Scrimmage isn’t much more than a glorified warmup period, with extremely lax runs of five-on-five at an event more about engaging fans at the Chase Fieldhouse, home of the G-League Delaware Blue Coats. But on Sunday afternoon, it became the first major public checkpoint in the recovery of Joel Embiid.

    The Sixers conducted a practice in Wilmington before the doors opened to media and fans, and when spectators began trickling in, Embiid was part of an active game, leading a team also including Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dominick Barlow.

    Quentin Grimes shuffled in for Team Blue, and interestingly enough, so did Embiid’s primary backup, Adem Bona. Team White was made up of most of the players on the fringes of head coach Nick Nurse’s regular rotation. Paul George, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Jared McCain and Trendon Watford did not play, but everyone else on the roster stepped onto the floor at some point during the two 10-minute periods.

    What was more notable than any lineup combination or schematic choice, of course, was the mere fact that Embiid was out there in plain sight.

    And once the official Blue X White Scrimmage was underway — Edgecombe and Johni Broome each served as public address announcers for their teams, almost certainly as a form of rookie duties — Embiid was still out there. The mood in the building was somewhere between shock and amazement; Embiid has done live five-on-five work in practice but has not played a basketball game in public since February.

    Sunday’s event was suddenly the first chance for anybody other than those around Embiid and the Sixers to get a sense of where the former NBA MVP is at physically after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in April. The results were largely encouraging based on how dire things were at this time a year ago. Nobody looks particularly explosive in this setting (other than Bona, it turns out), but Embiid routinely had opposing defenders — namely Broome and Andre Drummond — at his mercy.

    Embiid constantly drew double-teams and found teammates for open looks. “He’s even more of a willing passer than I thought,” Jabari Walker said after the scrimmage, soon after praising Embiid by saying he “knows what he wants, and he just makes the game easy.”

    There were even some vintage Embiid moments as a one-on-one scorer at the nail. It all began to feel normal, which these days is awfully abnormal.

    “Today was a good progression day for him,” Nurse said after the scrimmage. “Lots of running, lots of five-on-five, lots of early practice stuff, lots of drill work, lots of five-on-zero, just lots of getting him caught up to speed. And then he went out there and did his thing: he shot the ball well, he scored well, he orchestrated the offense well. I thought he ran pretty good as well [in] both directions.”

    What fans and media watched on Sunday afternoon was, more or less, the final portion of a standard Sixers practice this time of year. That this work for Embiid is so newsworthy speaks to the constant mystery that has surrounded him for years more than anything else. But after eight months of wondering what Embiid would look like if he stepped onto a basketball court with nine other players, there was finally some visibility on Sunday.

    The new terminology being associated with Embiid’s recovery is “checking boxes,” and as of last week, the Sixers were intimating that there are still boxes for Embiid to check before a timeline for his return to NBA games is established. There is still no indication either way about his status for the team’s first regular season game on Oct. 22.

    Whenever Embiid does play, do not be shocked if he shares the floor with Bona. It is a combination Nurse used quite a bit during the scrimmage, and after it concluded he confirmed it is a combination he is intrigued by. The Sixers have a clear hole at power forward; Embiid and Bona coexisting help fill that vacancy. Bona could be an indirect solution to the team’s issues at the four.

    “There’s kind of an open position at the four, especially right now with Paul not being quite ready yet,” Nurse said. “There’s a number of guys that we’re trying to work into that spot, [Bona is] just another one… He’s probably going to be more the five. He’s going to play down towards the basket and rim protect and things like that. There’s certainly some drive, dump-offs to him; hit Joel [or] Joel hits him type of situations that are high-percentage plays. I like that part. I think he’ll help the rebounding, he’ll help the rim protection. We’ll see how it goes.”

    Embiid defending modern power forwards certainly does not sound ideal, and the Sixers have always made concerted efforts to keep him closer to the rim as much as possible. If Embiid and Bona end up sharing the floor, expect Nurse to get quite creative with his defensive coverages as he attempts to utilize a massive frontcourt without subjecting Embiid to much perimeter responsibility. If there is anyone pining for this partnership to expand, it is Bona.

    “I think it would be awesome,” Bona said after the scrimmage. “That has been my goal since I got here, since I got drafted: at some point, I want to be able to share the floor with Joel. I’ve been working towards developing my game to be able to complement his game while I’m on the floor with him. So, yeah, I’ve been working towards that and I’m really excited to see how that’s going to pan out.”

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Sixers preseason provides Kennedy Chandler the minutes – and advice – he’s been ‘just waiting for’

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    PHILADELPHIA– Kennedy Chandler’s unrelenting ball pressure against Orlando Magic guards on Friday night looked exhausting. Chandler, an Exhibit 10 signee forced into a prominent preseason role for the Sixers due to injuries, has played much more than anyone would have anticipated and done so at a massive level of intensity. But given what he has been tasked with in practice, Chandler has had no issues in games.

    “It starts with practice, picking up [Tyrese] Maxey full-court. Like, I’m fast, but – it’s Maxey,” Chandler said on Friday night. “It starts with practice. I’ve been picking him up full court each and every single day, and he’s helping me be better on that end, because I know if I can stay in front of him I can stay in front of anybody else on an NBA court.”

    It has been an extremely productive preseason so far for Chandler, a 23-year-old former second-round pick whose NBA career has been limited to 36 appearances in the 2022-23 season. Chandler, likely ticketed for a key role with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League to begin 2025-26, spoke at length about his desire to get back into the league after the Sixers’ third preseason game of 2025, a home loss to the Orlando Magic. 

    “I felt like I had an opportunity over here,” Chandler said. “…Just blessed to be here. Blessed for the opportunity to play in the preseason. I haven’t played in the preseason since my rookie year, so it’s been two years since I’ve played in an environment like this with a crowd like this. I’m just blessed to be here, and thankful to Philly for giving me an opportunity to showcase my talent, to be in this organization that wanted me.”

    Chandler, who scored 16 points to go with five assists and four steals on Friday, knows the odds are stacked against him. He has been out of the league for years after a very short stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Sixers listed Chandler at 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds before the start of training camp. It is hard to be more of an underdog. Chandler has embraced it and tried to lean on a new teammate he has always looked up to: Kyle Lowry, a 6-foot guard entering his 20th NBA season.

    Lowry has lots of answers, so Chandler has peppered him with questions.

    “Never thought I’d be teammates with him, a veteran guy like him being in the league for a very long time,” Chandler said. “A small guard like me, I want to be in the same position he is, playing in the NBA for a very long time. Anything I can ask him, I’ll do every single time.”

    Chandler said Lowry’s most helpful pieces of advice have pertained to defending in the post without fouling and picking the right spots to get downhill out of pick-and-roll versus times to get to a floater.

    “I learn something new from him,” Chandler said, “every day.”

    Chandler is doing something right, because after the Sixers’ practice on Thursday head coach Nick Nurse highlighted his basketball acumen.

    “He’s got a pretty good feel for running and organizing the team,” Nurse said. “I’ve been impressed with his knowledge of the game and the way he’s picked things up and the way he’s kind of transferred that to keeping the team fairly organized.

    Chandler knows the challenges that come with thriving in the NBA at his size. Asked what he has learned since his rookie season about what he will need to provide to accomplish that, Chandler mentioned a point guard of Sixers past.

    “T.J. McConnell,” Chandler said. “I’ve been watching what he does, picking up full court, being a pest on the defensive end… That’s the main thing I would take from my rookie year to now, is really learning what I’ve got to do to stay on the court and stay in the league as a smaller guard.”

    Because he was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract, it is clear that Chandler will be waived by the Sixers before the regular season begins. But Chandler could be a prominent part of the Blue Coats, and if a two-way roster spot opens up in Philadelphia (or elsewhere), he will be eligible to fill it. Chandler wholeheartedly believes he has what it takes to stick in the NBA, and turning a preseason chance into strong momentum in the G League could be a turning point in his career.

    For Chandler, a moment like Friday night was years in the making.

    “Man, I was just waiting. I was just waiting on calls, just waiting for something to happen,” Chandler said. “It just happened.”

    MORE: More observations from Thursday’s game, including Tyrese Maxey’s offense

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Tyrese Maxey to be re-evaluated in a week after suffering strained right hamstring, Sixers say

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    LOS ANGELES, CA — Sixers All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey has a right hamstring strain, the Sixers said on Thursday. He will be re-evaluated in approximately one week.

    Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the team’s practice that it is unclear if Maxey suffered the injury on any particular play, but an MRI revealed that he will need to be sidelined for the time being.

    Maxey was removed during the second half of the Sixers’ road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, but Nurse indicated after the game that the team had merely been playing it safe with one of their stars.

    “I don’t think [Maxey will miss time],” Nurse said. “I don’t have any idea at this point. But again, just precautionary. Really precautionary… That type of game, there was not much of a reason to try to push him through.”

    MORE: Postgame sounds from Sixers-Clippers

    Now, though, the Sixers will be without Maxey for at least a week — and Shams Charania of ESPN, who first reported the news Thursday morning, said Maxey was expected to miss multiple weeks.

    In the interim, Nurse said his plan is to elevate Kyle Lowry into the starting point guard role, with veteran Reggie Jackson backing him up. Two-way point guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. could also be involved at some point.

    With Maxey out for at least a week and Joel Embiid serving a suspension for two more games, suddenly the Sixers’ lone star is Paul George, who has only played two games this season and has had his minutes and workload monitored. Nurse said that there is no specific timeline on when George will be a full go, but that the nine-time All-Star will at least be “limited” when the Sixers take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

    The Sixers have struggled mightily on the offensive end of the floor all season, and things are only going to get tougher without Maxey in the fold for the time being.

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Instant observations: Sixers suffer brutal loss to Raptors, fall to 0-2

    Instant observations: Sixers suffer brutal loss to Raptors, fall to 0-2

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    Looking to rebound after an opening night loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, the Sixers traveled to Toronto for a Friday night battle against the rebuilding Raptors in hopes of nabbing their first win of the season. In Nick Nurse’s return to Toronto — where he won an NBA title as a rookie head coach — he made two significant early changes. One of those changes involved Kyle Lowry, considered by most to be the greatest Raptor of all time.

    In their second game of the season, the Sixers looked the part of a group of players figuring out how to coexist with one another — much more than they did against Milwaukee. An incredibly disjointed first half had them off to a shaky start, and in the second half a few brief spurts were overtaken by Raptors runs. Suddenly, the Sixers are 0-2.

    Here is what stood out from a putrid 115-107 Sixers loss.

    MORE: Lowry and Nurse’s Toronto legacies

    Nurse makes a pair of starting lineup changes

    Initially, Lowry was supposed to be the Sixers’ third guard when he joined the team late in 2023-24, but was quickly forced into an outsized role at the team’s starting shooting guard. Nurse confirmed at the team’s Media Day last month that Lowry would likely not have as significant of a role in his first full season with the team.

    Lowry came off the bench in all of his preseason appearances and did so on Wednesday night. Fellow veteran Eric Gordon earned ownership of the starting shooting guard spot that Lowry had vacated, while KJ Martin filled in for the injured Paul George and Caleb Martin was expected to log plenty of minutes off the bench.

    Lowry played well on Wednesday night, while Caleb Martin was likely the Sixers’ best player on the floor in his debut with the team. And Nurse wasted no time inserting the former teammates into his starting lineup around Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond, with Gordon and KJ Martin moving to the bench.

    Nurse’s Martin-for-Martin swap was not a huge surprise. Caleb Martin played more than 37 minutes off the bench — more than any Sixer other than Maxey — and if he is going to continue to shoulder that sort of workload, it becomes a bit trickier to find all of those minutes for him when he does not play for the first handful of minutes of the game. 

    The decision to replace Gordon with Lowry, though, came as a larger surprise. Gordon had a poor outing in his Sixers debut, failing to connect from beyond the arc and only making one of his four shot attempts from inside the arc. Nurse seemed to have plenty of conviction during the preseason that Gordon being part of the starting unit provided valuable floor spacing — enough that even Gordon being usurped by Lowry, a famous Nurse favorite, was surprising this early in the season.

    Paul George injury update

    Speaking of George, the nine-time All-Star’s Sixers debut will not happen this weekend. George is out for the Sixers’ Sunday afternoon contest against the Pacers in Indiana and will be re-evaluated soon after, the Sixers said on Thursday evening.

    “George continues progressing well in his recovery from a left knee bone bruise,” the Sixers said. “He will not play during the team’s two-game road trip and an update on his availability is expected early next week.”

    Center rotation unravels early, but Maxey gets off to hot start thanks to help from one new teammate

    Drummond, who committed five fouls in 25 minutes on Wednesday night, had to check out after just over three minutes of action in this one. Maintaining defensive discipline is always important for a center, but Drummond needs to be particularly cognizant when Joel Embiid is sidelined that he must remain available to play heavy minutes.

    Replacing Drummond was the Sixers’ temporary backup center, Guerschon Yabusele, who set a couple of mean screens to free up Maxey for a pair of triples from the right wing. Maxey also converted an and-one and had a few gorgeous assists in the first quarter, a major improvement from a poor opening frame against Milwaukee.

    Yabusele quickly got into foul trouble as well, though — and by the 4:22 mark of the first quarter, Nurse was using his third center of the game. KJ Martin slid up to the five, a spot where he was occasionally used down the stretch last season. The fifth-year athletic chess piece blocked a shot early on in his stint at center, and a moment later had a strong one-on-one stand on the block against center Bruno Fernando which led to a basket on the other end for him.

    Then, another genuine surprise: the insertion of rookie Adem Bona, who had not been expected to see regular minutes at any point in the near future. Bona, the Sixers’ fourth center of the opening frame, has plenty of work to do limiting his own fouling — and on his first defensive possession of the night, he fouled Raptors All-Star point forward Scottie Barnes on a drive to the basket.

    With the chance to make a pair of offensive-oriented substitutions near the end of the quarter, Nurse pulled Bona and KJ Martin for Maxey and Ricky Council IV. Four seconds later, Maxey had drawn a foul, and KJ Martin returned for a defensive stand. The whole thing made for a wild ride:

    Somehow, the Sixers ended up leading Toronto, 31-30, after the conclusion of the first quarter. Maxey’s 13 points and four assists were both game-highs.

    Fouling issues continue to plague Sixers, but rim pressure helps ease the blow

    In addition to Drummond’s five fouls against the Bucks, Yabusele fouled out, Oubre collected five fouls, and both Martins had four fouls (and KJ only saw 15 minutes of action).

    The Sixers’ inability to stay out of foul trouble only escalated in the first half of this one. In addition to Drummond and Yabusele, Caleb Martin also picked up a pair of fouls in the first quarter. Caleb Martin, Yabusele and Lowry each had three around the midway point of the second quarter.

    Early returns on the Sixers’ bets on athleticism and positional versatility outweighing frame and muscle have been noticeably poor, as a team suddenly without a Goliath in Embiid is being physically overwhelmed. It is far too soon to make any declarative statements about the viability of the Sixers’ mostly-undersized roster, particularly given the noteworthy talents that have been unavailable through their first pair of games, but this is certainly something to keep an eye on.

    On the bright side, the Sixers were able to bait Toronto into committing the same amount of fouls before intermission — 15 — and shot nearly as many free throws as the Raptors. Maxey led the way, knocking down all seven of his free throws. Drummond drew three fouls, but only made two out of six attempts at the line.

    All of the whistles led to one of the longer halves of October basketball you will see. Toronto was much more efficient from the field, paving the way for a 62-56 Raptors lead at intermission.

    Oubre opens third quarter strong, Sixers run follows

    The Sixers were desperate for some juice on both ends of the floor in the second half, Oubre who gave it to them right off the bat. The fan favorite swingman took a charge, knocked down a step-back mid-range jumper, forced a backcourt violation, threw a perfect alley-oop pass to Drummond and connected on a floater, all in the span of about two and a half minutes.

    For the time being, though, Oubre’s excellent sequence of two-way action did not power a Sixers surge, it merely kept them afloat. In fact, Toronto’s lead actually increased from its standing at halftime during Oubre’s strong 6:37 of action to begin the third quarter.

    Coincidentally, the Sixers were able to make inroads on Toronto’s lead after Oubre went to the bench. Gordon knocked down his first triple as a Sixer, Yabusele converted an and-one, and suddenly the Sixers were within a few baskets. Their defense is what led their charge back into the game, as they held the Raptors to just 21 points in the frame.

    Toronto’s lead was trimmed to two points with a few moments left in the third quarter, but the Sixers made too many mistakes offensively. The Raptors were able to extent their lead to six points heading into the fourth quarter. Among the lowlights were consecutive tough breaks for Council, who did not know where to be to begin a possession that devolved into a Gordon-Yabusele pick-and-roll, leading to a turnover. The second-year wing missed a wide open three-point attempt the next time down the floor.

    Raptors open final frame on major run

    The Sixers needed to make a strong push to begin the fourth quarter in Toronto. They did the opposite, watching as the Raptors jumped out to a 15-2 run in just under five minutes of play. It was a complete catastrophe for the Sixers, who appear to be doing nothing particularly well on either end of the floor through a pair of games.

    The most troubling aspect of the Sixers’ losses — particularly Friday night’s no-show…

    Maxey can’t get things going offensively

    Maxey is an All-Star point guard with an extensive track record of being a terrific offensive player, but the Sixers are going to need him to score efficiently when Embiid and George are sidelined. The team’s aggressiveness in managing Embiid’s workload has already become a source of tremendous controversy; George will experience lighter monitoring but still not necessarily be available on a nightly basis during the regular season. All of that heightens the importance of Maxey’s efficiency as the focal point.

    During his NBA career, Maxey has displayed remarkable stamina, which has enabled him to log massive minutes totals. But that is even more taxing when you are the team’s only consistent perimeter scorer and not exactly in midseason form with the season just having started.

    Maxey’s 10-for-31 shooting performance against Milwaukee was a tough watch, but he was the victim of many bad bounces on shots that usually fall. In this one, he posted one of the worst shooting performances of his career — and most of his misses were not even close. Maxey also looked exhausted for much of the second half, missing plenty of shots well short — including an airball — and getting beat on multiple back cuts where he just fell asleep.

    The final shooting line in this one for Maxey: 6-for-23. Simply put, the Sixers will need him to be a whole lot better moving forward.

    Up next: The Sixers finish up a quick, two-game road trip on Sunday afternoon when they face the Pacers. They will then return home for a pair of contests before heading out on a West Coast trip.

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Instant observations: Undermanned Sixers drop season opener to red-hot Bucks

    Instant observations: Undermanned Sixers drop season opener to red-hot Bucks

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    Finally, the Sixers began their season Wednesday night, playing host to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks were without Khris Middleton, but the Sixers experienced far greater losses in Joel Embiid and Paul George.

    Right off the bat, a revamped Sixers roster led by head coach Nick Nurse had its depth tested. An upset win for the Sixers would have lifted spirits, but Lillard and co. had different ideas. Milwaukee was on the money from beyond the arc all night long, and the Sixers could not muster enough offense to match.

    Here is what stood out from the Sixers’ 124-109 loss, dropping them to 0-1 on the young season:

    Nurse goes with Eric Gordon and KJ Martin in his starting five

    Gordon became the clear favorite to start over Caleb Martin midway through the preseason — Nurse is excited about the floor spacing Gordon can provide that unit and thinks Caleb Martin can give bench lineups a necessary infusion of energy. Nurse said before the game that Martin is “clearly” one of the team’s five best players and that his minutes would reflect that.

    With George out, Nurse opted to go with KJ Martin, who has impressed and looked considerably more comfortable during all of training camp and preseason. Martin is a remarkable athlete, which lends itself to Nurse’s renewed emphasis on pushing the pace. The fifth-year wing serves as a quality defender across at least three positions and has become an impressive passer and decision-maker in short-roll situations. Whether or not KJ Martin can consistently knock down open threes moving forward will determine his long-term fate; he spent the summer working with a shooting coach and refined his hand placement in hopes of seeing better results.

    Early jitters on both sides to open season

    The first timeout of the game came about halfway through the first quarter, with the score knotted at 10. The teams shot a combined 7-24 from the field during that opening burst, including Tyrese Maxey knocking down his first look — a three — before missing his next five shot attempts.

    Elsewhere, Andre Drummond was dominant on the glass early, pulling six rebounds and turning one of his offensive boards into a bucket. Caleb Martin came off the bench a bit earlier than anticipated when Antetokounmpo got KJ Martin in foul trouble and immediately did exactly what Nurse said he hoped to see the former Heat wing do: crash the glass. Antetokounmpo failed to box out, and Caleb Martin turned it into a layup for Oubre. Caleb Martin’s offensive rebounding stood out early, an extremely encouraging sign for Nurse.

    As the Sixers’ primary scoring options, Maxey and Oubre were struggling early to put the ball in the basket, but strong defense from the Sixers — including an Antetokounmpo transition turnover forced by Gordon — made up for it.

    Some rotation questions answered

    The first substitution of the season was the aforementioned swap of Martins, but the next reserve to check in was Guerschon Yabusele. Yabusele replaced Oubre, allowing him to log a few minutes at power forward before Oubre returned to replace Drummond, sliding Yabusele up to the five.

    Yabusele’s first NBA shot attempt in many years was a wide open corner three, and he cashed it.

    As expected, Kyle Lowry checked in as well, replacing Gordon. Nurse will still have Maxey and Lowry share the floor a decent bit; he prefers having as many ball-handlers on the floor at once as possible.

    The one surprise was that Nurse opted to go with an eight-man rotation in the first half, choosing to not play any of his deeper reserves — most notably rookie Jared McCain. 

    Maxey shows aggression early

    Whenever Embiid and George are out — and that may not be an infrequent occurrence — the Sixers need Maxey to be as aggressive as possible scoring the ball. Nurse has spent the entirety of his time in Philadelphia getting on Maxey, telling the All-Star point guard that he can continue to increase his scoring volume.

    Maxey only shot 3-11 from the field in the first quarter, but just that amount of shot attempts alone is exactly what Nurse continues to long for on a consistent basis.

    To top it off, Maxey gave the Sixers a 23-22 lead at the first-quarter buzzer after putting together a nasty series of moves.

    Ultimately, the Sixers’ early offense looked like that of a team with several new pieces that was missing an MVP candidate and a nine-time All-Star. This is all a work in progress.

    Another note on Maxey: it was clear that a focus for him during the offseason was regaining the sort of comfort in between the three-point line and restricted area that he had when he first entered the league, and he had quite a few shot attempts in the mid-range area early on, including this floater:

    Maxey was far too reliant on his floater when he entered the NBA, but abandoning it entirely was not necessarily the ideal pivot. Perhaps it will return to his arsenal in his fifth professional season.

    Bucks make a run to end first half

    The last several minutes of the second quarter were not kind to the Sixers. First, their offense stagnated — predictably, this was most apparent while Maxey rested — then they finally strung together some strong offensive possessions but saw Milwaukee get hot from beyond the arc. 

    Perhaps a larger issue was the Sixers repeatedly committing fouls on the defensive end. By the time intermission had arrived, Drummond, KJ Martin and Oubre each had three fouls, while Yabusele — who banked in a shot to beat the second-quarter buzzer — had two.

    The Sixers have made a calculated risk in embracing athleticism and positional versatility instead of size and strength. That trade-off provides plenty of positive results, but it also makes them susceptible to the occasional bully-ball bucket or easy foul-drawing against a team like Milwaukee that has tremendous muscle across the board.

    In addition to Antetokounmpo posting 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists in just 15 first-half minutes, Bobby Portis torched the Sixers’ second unit to the tune of 13 points, three rebounds and three assists in the game’s opening 24 minutes.

    MORE: NBA to investigate Sixers re: Joel Embiid

    Looking for a spark, Nurse goes to Ricky Council IV, but Milwaukee push persists

    By the halfway point of the third quarter, boos were beginning to get louder in South Philadelphia as the Bucks continued to rain triples. Milwaukee increased its lead to 18, and Nurse decided to try changing the pace of the game a bit by going to Ricky Council IV. Council did not do enough during training camp and preseason to earn a regular rotation role, but the Sixers still see real potential with the second-year wing. At the moment, this role is probably his optimal one: not a player who is relied on for nightly contributions, but is around when the energy needs to shift.

    There was a moment when the building had juice again — Yabsuele converted an and-one thanks to a great dish from Lowry, and the Sixers forced a Bucks turnover. But Maxey was blocked at the rim by Brook Lopez and Lillard drew a foul, then Yabusele got called for a moving screen and Lillard knocked down his fifth triple of the night. Suddenly, Milwaukee’s lead was back up to 17.

    For what it’s worth, Council did knock down a three on his first shot attempt of the season, a spot-up attempt from the left wing. A barrage of Lillard threes came before it, though, putting the Sixers in a major hole.

    Sixers struggle at the free throw line

    The Sixers led the NBA in free throws made per game while also being second-best in free throw percentage in 2023-24, but that is powered by a legendary foul-drawer in Embiid. On Wednesday night, they struggled at the line. By the time the third quarter was over, they had already missed eight free throws (15-23).

    When you are short-handed to the degree the Sixers were without Embiid and George and you are facing a team that is red-hot from beyond the arc, there is no margin for error at the free throw line. This is not exactly an indicator of a long-term problem, but it is a frustrating one to deal with when so many things are already working against a team.

    Strong night for Sixers bench

    There was not a ton to be excited about from an offensive perspective for the Sixers for much of this game, but they did see three reserves give them healthy doses of scoring. Caleb Martin and Yabusele were each in double-figures while also playing strong defense and doing a little bit of everything else, while Lowry was a calming presence with his ball-handling, passing and three-point shooting.

    Too often, the Sixers were unable to play quality offense for more than a few possessions in a row, but their best spurts on that end of the floor came when Lowry was in the game. 

    A wild stat on Lowry’s longevity, courtesy of the Sixers:

    Lowry is a future Hall of Fame inductee, and it is pretty cool that the Philadelphia native and Villanova product could end his playing career with his hometown team.

    Despite a valiant effort, Sixers have too little too late

    The Sixers were able to make a few brief runs in the fourth quarter, but Maxey’s subpar performance in combination with Milwaukee’s three-point excellence and the Sixers’ lack of offensive firepower beyond their All-Star point guard was enough for plenty of folks to be hitting the exits with four minutes or so left in the game.

    There was a decent amount to like from the short-handed Sixers, but a whole lot more to be concerned about.

    Up next: The Sixers will travel to Toronto, where they have a Friday night matchup against the rebuilding Raptors. 

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Instant observations: Sixers fly high in preseason victory over Nets

    Instant observations: Sixers fly high in preseason victory over Nets

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    In their penultimate preseason exhibition, the Sixers played host to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Joel Embiid and Paul George were out of commission, as Embiid continues to work on the management of his left knee and George begins recovering from his left knee bone bruise. Kyle Lowry was in street clothes as well, as the veteran point guard was given the night off. For Brooklyn, Ben Simmons rested as well.

    Here is what jumped out from the Sixers’ 117-95 win/loss in their second and final home preseason game on Wednesday night:

    First Quarter

    • After making a change to his starting lineup before Monday night’s game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said he would alter his opening five again — and replacing George was KJ Martin, playing alongside Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond.

    Once again, Nurse is signaling that he prefers to use wing Caleb Martin — who was expected to start at power forward for the Sixers — in a bench role. Caleb Martin often thrived as a reserve during his successful three-year stint with the Miami Heat, and Nurse believes he provides what the Sixers need in their second unit.

    “[Caleb Martin] is going to give us some energy off the bench, which I thought we lacked in the previous games, so we’re trying to solve that equation a little bit,” Nurse said after Tuesday’s practice. “It splits up Kyle [Lowry] and Eric [Gordon], which is also part of the plan. Just kind of maneuvering through different looks. And I think it’ll be pretty fluid as we go for a while.”

    Ultimately, how many minutes each player receives — and which ones are on the floor at the ends of close games — are far more important issues than which ones start. Expect the situation to evolve throughout the season.

    • Speaking of Gordon, it is becoming extremely apparent why Nurse likes the idea of the veteran sharpshooter being in his starting five. Gordon is one of the most accomplished three-point shooters of all time, and his reputation as a willing launcher carries serious weight when opposing defenses gameplan for any team he is part of. Gordon knocked down a pair of triples within five minutes and change of tip-off, and what stood out on each one was his complete lack of hesitation. Unlike many players who boast similar shooting skills, Gordon is perfectly happy to fire away every time down the floor if the opportunities present themselves.

    Moments later, Gordon read Nets guard Cam Thomas’ eyes perfectly and stole what Thomas thought would be a simple pass. Gordon ignited a transition possession and finished at the rim.

    •  The best highlight of the first quarter on Wednesday: Maxey throwing a transition lob so appetizing that Oubre and KJ Martin both went up looking to hammer home an alley-oop dunk. Oubre ended up the winner, and essentially dunked on his own teammate. Brooklyn called timeout, and Oubre and the rest of KJ Martin’s teammates playfully mocked him for getting posterized.

    Moments later, though, KJ Martin was able to get in on the fun, throwing down an alley-oop pass from Maxey in a half-court setting. He caught Thomas sleeping and took off in the direction of the basket. Maxey found him instantly:

    KJ Martin is a remarkable athlete, and during his minutes with the Sixers last season his abilities to display that were limited. Asked about Nurse placing an emphasis on playing at a fast pace in the 2024-25 season after the team’s shootaround on Wednesday morning, the fifth-year forward lit up.

    “It’s fun for me,” Martin said. “I love running down the floor and being able to jump… Especially with Tyrese in the game, we talk a lot, trying to bring the pace of the game up.”

    MORE: Sixers player preview: Is KJ Martin more than a trade chip?

    Second Quarter

    • Oubre’s three-point stroke came and went for much of his first season in Philadelphia, as his accuracy from beyond the arc fluctuated wildly. His most reliable skill on that end of the floor is his ability to pressure the rim. His finishing once he gets near the basket is imperfect, but he is terrific at getting a downhill start towards the restricted area. That was on full display Wednesday, as Oubre attempted seven free throws in the first half. He had everything working offensively, and it all stems from his driving ability. After establishing that he could get to the rim at will, Oubre knocked down a pair of pull-up triple when a Brooklyn defender felt the need to sag off in preparation for a drive. 

    • Guerschon Yabusele has impressed in the preseason, but the overwhelming majority of his minutes have come at center. Yabusele said after Tuesday’s practice that playing the five was not part of the role the Sixers had pitched to him when he signed with the team, but that he was comfortable playing anywhere. Nurse admitted before Wednesday’s game that the arrangement has largely been used out of necessity, as Embiid has not appeared in the preseason (and will not do so). 

    Nurse said that while he has seen more than enough to be comfortable using Yabusele as a small-ball center, he wishes he had more of a sample using the French Olympic standout at power forward, his natural position. Nurse indicated that Yabusele would see time at the four on Wednesday, and he did spend just over two minutes playing alongside Drummond near the end of the first half.

    Yabusele ended the first half on a high note, intercepting an inbounds pass from under the Sixers’ basket and driving to the rim for a two-handed slam that just barely beat the buzzer.

    MORE: Sixers player preview: Can Guerschon Yabusele leave a mark in his second NBA opportunity?

    • An interesting note: Brooklyn attempted 31 three-pointers in the first half, a gargantuan total. In the 2023-24 regular season, the Celtics led all NBA teams with 42.5 three-point attempts per game. 

    Third Quarter

    • It felt as if the Sixers left some meat on the bone in terms of attempting corner threes last season, but they did knock down a pair of corner triples early in the third quarter. On the team’s first offensive possession of the second half, Yabusele freed himself up in transition and drilled a shot from the right corner. A few moments later, Ricky Council IV connected from the opposite corner off of an assist from Jared McCain.

    After a strong preseason debut, Council has struggled as far as impressing during these exhibitions. It seems far-fetched that the second-year wing will be in Nurse’s regular rotation to begin the season, but the potential that exists with the fan favorite remains obvious. 

    • Speaking of McCain, the rookie first-round pick received first quarter minutes on Wednesday — and given Gordon’s apparent status as a starter, if George misses any time in the regular season, McCain being part of Nurse’s second unit seems increasingly likely. It does not sound like George is at risk of missing a considerable amount of games to begin the season, but he certainly is not a lock to be on the floor on Oct. 23 when the Milwaukee Bucks come to town.

    MORE: Sixers say Paul George has bone bruise but no structural damage, will be re-evaluated in approximately one week

    • Two-way guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. entered to open the second half and had a few strong flashes of self-creation. 

    Dowtin is a serviceable shooter, not a great one, and only has okay burst, but manages to thrive in isolation opportunities thanks to an interesting mix of dribble moves and changes of pace. 

    Fourth Quarter

    • McCain returned to the game to begin its final frame with an opportunity to serve as the Sixers’ primary ball-handler. He knocked down a picture-perfect triple, and on the next possession drove to the basket and kicked it out to two-way guard Lester Quinones for a three of his own.

    • Far and away the best highlight of the second half came a few minutes into the fourth quarter. McCain got beat off the dribble, but his draft classmate Adem Bona came to his aid with a stellar block of veteran point guard Dennis Schröder. Dowtin led the Sixers in transition and dished out a gorgeous no-look dime to rookie two-way wing Justin Edwards for an easy slam. It was about as exciting of a play as you will find in the fourth quarter of a preseason game.

    • All in all, this was a strong showing for much of the Sixers’ roster — including depth pieces like Dowtin, Quinones, Edwards and Bona outperforming many of Brooklyn’s regular rotation players who remained in the game down the stretch. But the night ended on a bit of a sour note, when McCain took a hard fall and appeared to be in an immense amount of pain. After a moment, McCain was able to sit up, and after another minute he was on his feet being helped to the locker room.

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Instant observations: Tyrese Maxey’s unbelievable late-game heroics save Sixers season in Game 5

    Instant observations: Tyrese Maxey’s unbelievable late-game heroics save Sixers season in Game 5

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    NEW YORK, NY — In an all-time clash, the Sixers somehow emerged victorious in Game 5 Tuesday night, 112-106, because of all-time shot-making from Tyrese Maxey. Their season remains alive with the series returning to Philadelphia. 

    Here is what stood out from a thrilling Sixers-Knicks Game 5:

    Sixers open fourth quarter with a bang

    Let’s start in the guts of the game. With a dozen minutes of play left to decide their season, the Sixers came out strong: they opened the fourth quarter with Maxey sinking a long two-point jumper, then got a stop and extended their newfound lead to four thanks to a corner triple by Nico Batum. 

    Within 41 seconds, the score had swung by five crucial points, and a furious Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau called timeout once again. 

    Fatigue plagues Embiid down the stretch as turnovers pile up, and Nurse makes a tough call

    Joel Embiid was sloppy for a lot of this game, but it became uncontrollable in the fourth quarter. By the time Embiid had thrown away his eighth turnover of the game nearly halfway through the fourth quarter, Nick Nurse called timeout, and after the break Embiid was not on the floor. Nurse opted to not play Embiid for the entirety of the second half after it did not work out for the Sixers in Game 3. With or without Embiid, the Sixers had a lot of ground to cover. 

    Embiid’s rest only lasted for 72 seconds of play before a Jalen Brunson and-one extended their lead to six points.

    Tyrese Maxey saves the season

    Miles McBride made a free throw line jumper to extend the Knicks’ lead to six with fewer than 30 seconds left. 

    Then Tyrese Maxey did something unforgettable.

    First, Maxey converted an absurd four-point play to trim the lead to two points. Josh Hart split two free throws, and Maxey came down, pulled up from the logo and saved the Sixers’ season with the most brilliant shot of his four-year NBA career. 

    What can you say about this guy anymore? The Sixers’ 23 year-old guard is special, and the five-year maximum contract extension he is set to sign this summer is much-deserved. With Embiid a shell of himself for much of this game (and significant portions of the series), it is the fourth-year player in his first full season as a point guard who rose to the occasion time and time again. He is not a star, not an All-Star, but a superstar in the making.

    Embiid and Maxey deliver in overtime and the Sixers find a way remain alive

    Embiid was flat-out terrible for 48 minutes. Maxey made several crucial mistakes down the stretch. But after Maxey’s herculean effort forced overtime, the Sixers’ duo of 2023-24 All-Stars refused to let the Sixers head home empty-handed. Maxey continued to hit big shot after big shot, and Embiid finally began to come through with timely baskets while simultaneously obliterating the Knicks’ offense as a rim protector.

    After a true instant classic, the Sixers are going to return home and play more basketball. Game 6 is Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

    Sixers defense comes to play early… even if their offense did not

    It took four minutes and 24 seconds of play before the Knicks got on the board in this one. Tobias Harris (of all people!) scored the first five points of the game — first on a corner triple and then a mid-range jumper — before Isaiah Hartenstein knocked down two free throws for the Knicks. Tyrese Maxey followed that up with a 5-0 run of his own, and more than five minutes into the game, Thibodeau called timeout with his team trailing 10-2. The Knicks entered that timeout shooting 0-8 from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc.

    The Sixers missed some great looks early on, squandering an opportunity to jump out to a massive early lead, but Harris and Maxey did just enough to get the Sixers out in front in the opening minutes.

    Sixers win first quarter 26-17 despite unusual Embiid performance

    Embiid made only one of his five field goal attempts in the first quarter of this one, inciting quite a bit of pleasure from the New York City crowd. But the other parts of his game were on-point early on: his rim protection was characteristically outstanding, his grabbed six rebounds and also dished out three assists. 

    It is fair to wonder if the Sixers could have really blown things open early had Embiid been effective as a scorer, but regardless of his shooting struggles, the reigning NBA MVP did find a way to impact the game in a positive manner early.

    Knicks make significant second-quarter push amid continued Embiid struggles

    In the three minutes and 57 seconds in which Embiid rested — between the final minute or so of the first quarter and the opening pair of minutes in the second quarter — the Sixers’ five-point lead was predictably extinguished. But when Embiid returned to the floor, his struggles as a scorer only escalated, and suddenly New York took control of the game.

    Robinson once again performed excellently as Embiid’s primary defender, and New York’s once-dormant offense got going. Miles McBride scored five straight points, Brunson began to knock down jumpers, Robinson threw down a powerful alley-oop dunk and the Knicks were able to build a formidable deficit for the Sixers to overcome.

    Maxey’s scoring saves Sixers’ chances, but team enters halftime trailing 49-43

    The Sixers were brutalized by the Knicks in the second quarter, as New York outscored them 32-17 in those 12 minutes. The Sixers’ only saving grace was Maxey, who’s at least able to halt the Knicks’ momentum a few times, including with an impressive buzzer-beating layup that trimmed the deficit to six before the teams headed to their locker rooms.

    Of course, the onus is always on an entire team to rise to the occasion in a big game, but everybody knows that things start and end with a team’s best player. Embiid’s offensive showing in the first half — a 3-10 shooting line from the field with three turnovers — was just not good enough. 

    Sixers respond with a run to open third quarter

    The Sixers were likely doomed if they did not throw a haymaker at the Knicks to open the second half, and perhaps that is exactly what Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told his team in the locker room. The Sixers took a punch from the Knicks and were able to connect back.

    The Sixers’ opening act in the third quarter was strong enough that Thibodeau called a timeout on two different occasions before even four minutes of time has passed. They outscored New York 10-2 in the first three minutes and 51 seconds of the quarter, allowing them to first tie the game and then take the lead. Once again, the key cog in their turnaround was Maxey, who punctuated the run with a gorgeous finish at the rim.

    Sixers enter fourth quarter trailing by one

    The Sixers won the third quarter, 26-21, but left some points on the table with missed open threes. All in all, Nurse and co. will take what they got over the course of those 12 minutes, though: repeated good looks on the offensive end, fueled by mostly-crisp passing, and cohesive defense. 

    A (relatively) clean bill of health for the Sixers

    Aside from Robert Covington, who remains out with a bone bruise in his left knee, the Sixers had two players listed on their injury report, and they were both starters. 

    Joel Embiid has been listed as questionable before just about every game the Sixers have played since he returned from his two-plus month absence due to a meniscus injury in his left knee, and that did not change, but his designation did: rather than just being listed as dealing with “left knee injury recovery,” Embiid was also listed as having a migraine — which Embiid said last week was the first symptom he experienced before being diagnosed with a case of Bell’s palsy. Embiid missed the team’s shootaround Tuesday morning, but was never expected to miss a do-or-die game.

    Kelly Oubre Jr. also missed Tuesday morning’s shootaround after the team told reporters that the swingman “did not feel well,” and Oubre was later listed as probable with an illness. However, he, too was ultimately made available and put in the starting lineup.

    The injury gods giveth and the injury gods taketh away for New York

    The Knicks, who have battled injuries all season long, relied on seven players to notch a Game 4 victory: Robinson, who excelled for the first two and a half games of the series before missing the second half of Game 3 with an ankle injury, was ruled out a half-hour prior to tip-off on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, Bogdanovic — who knocked down three triples in each of the first two games of the series and helps New York space the floor in a major way — went down with an ankle injury 71 seconds after checking into the game. Bogdanovic, who was already dealing with a severe wrist injury, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to his pair of injuries that will likely both require surgery.

    Robinson returned for the Knicks in Game 5 despite still dealing with the aforementioned ankle ailment — the same injury that held him out for more than three months in the regular season. With Bogdanovic out, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau decided not to call upon the services of Precious Achiuwa — his backup center to open Game 4 who ultimately helped swing the game in New York’s favor with his infectious energy and tremendous athleticism at the power forward position — in a role resembling the one he thrived in during the prior contest. Instead, the Knicks used a seven-man rotation. That is considered a rarity this early in the playoffs, generally speaking, but clearly nothing can be put past Thibodeau.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • RECAP – Playoffs: Joel Embiid With a Legacy Game in Game 3 vs. New York Knicks – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    RECAP – Playoffs: Joel Embiid With a Legacy Game in Game 3 vs. New York Knicks – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Wow! What a game!
    Embiid, Maxey, and the whole team come up clutch to make a statement in game 3 against the Knicks.

    He Said They Can Win the Series

    After the game 2 loss, Embiid had some bad body language, but he still came out and said they could win the series. The only way to follow up a statement like that is to come out and dominate in game 3, and dominate he did.

    After coming up short two times in a row, Embiid came out and put on a show, scoring 50 points and shooting 5/7 from 3.

    Slow Start

    To start off the game, the NBA and their beloved replay review made three appearances just halfway through the first quarter. Kyle Lowry and Joel Embiid were both assigned flagrant 1 fouls during that time. Not only that, but Embiid found himself in very early foul trouble with 3 in the first quarter.

    All Sixers fans probably didn’t feel too good after seeing that. It had all the early makings of another devastating Sixers loss, which would essentially knock them out of the playoffs. Going into halftime, the Knicks had a 3-point lead. Not good.

    Electric 3rd Quarter

    After the aggravating start to the game, the Sixers came out firing in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks by 16. The whole team got super hot from 3, led by Cam Payne and Embiid’s efforts from downtown. The Knicks had no answers – especially after Mitchell Robinson went down with an ankle injury. Embiid had his way throughout the whole third quarter, allowing the team to slow down in the fourth. The Sixers only outscored the Knicks in the third quarter, but they did it in such a dominant fashion that they didn’t need to in the other quarters.

    Biggest Takeaways

    Embiid Had to be Embiid

    In my last article, I said the Sixers couldn’t win without Embiid coming out and dominating. He had to forget about bad calls and play his game. He did just that. Even after early foul trouble and a near altercation with Mitchell Robinson and D0nte DiVincenzo, Embiid stayed in the game and did his thing.

    In previous years, this would have really hurt his level of play for the rest of the game, but he pushed it aside and dominated. He had a legitimate legacy game, scoring his career-high in the playoffs of 50 points.

    Mitchell Robinson

    After Mitchell Robinson went down, the Knicks had to put Precious Achiuwa up against Embiid with Isaiah Hartenstein sitting out due to foul trouble. This gave Embiid a humongous advantage over the much smaller Knicks team.

    Achiuwa didn’t play terribly, but if Mitchell Robinson doesn’t come back this series, Embiid could have another monstrous game coming soon.

    Brunson Returning to Form

    It was only a matter of time before Jalen Brunson broke free of the Sixers’ plan to stifle his efforts on the court. He scored 39 points on 48.1% shooting, along with 13 assists. He had a great game. Even with those great numbers, the Sixers’ defense definitely made him work his hardest to get his points. Also, they caused him to commit some untimely turnovers that are unlike him. As long as the Sixers make him continue to work this hard for points, they can count that as a success.

    Rebounding

    For the first time in this series, the Sixers outrebounded the Knicks. The Knicks still had 11 offensive rebounds, but it was obvious the Sixers put an emphasis on limiting second-chance points.

    More players crashed the boards today, which caused a lot of frustration among the Knicks players, who are usually rewarded more with their hustle.

    Sixers’ Supporting Cast

    Finally, the Sixers’ supporting cast showed up to play. Having a spark off the bench creates a huge difference in playoff games. In the last two games, the Knicks bench lit the Sixers up and demoralized them. Today, Cam Payne came in and flipped the tables. Even with his ugly-looking shot, he came in and instantly nailed some 3’s to provide some much-needed scoring outside of Embiid and Maxey.

    Kelly Oubre also added 15 points. His athletic build and ability to shoot provide much-needed versatility from the wing. He forces defenders to step up on him, but he can also blow by for a dunk like he did in the first quarter.

    Payne and Oubre were very important in tonight’s win.

    We Have a Series

    Going down 3-0 would have ended our playoff hopes, but we still can dream. 2-1 is a lot more manageable than 3-0, and many teams have come back to win from this before.

    With Nick Nurse running the game plan and Embiid getting healthier every day, the Sixers can tie this series up on Sunday and put a lot of pressure on the Knicks.

    PHOTO: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • The Sixers’ 2024 Playoff Picture – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Sixers’ 2024 Playoff Picture – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    With the regular season over, the Sixers’ road to the Finals starts this Wednesday against the Heat in the play-in tournament.

    Since Embiid’s return, the Sixers have gone 8-0, including two games without Embiid.

    It’s no secret that he brings a boost to this team. As long as he can stay healthy, they have a shot at making a serious run.

    How’s the Knee?

    In a game against the Orlando Magic a few days ago, all Sixers fans had a scare. After driving to the basket and getting his own rebound, Embiid, wincing in pain, asked for a timeout and immediately headed to the locker room. Everyone watching probably had the same thought: here we go again. 

    To everyone’s surprise, Embiid returned to the game in the second half and continued doing his thing. Afterward, when Nick Nurse was asked about the status of Embiid’s knee, he said the knee “responded well.” So take that for what you will, but it was a good sign seeing Embiid return in the second half.

    Two Possible Matchups

    After they take care of business tomorrow against the Heat, they will match up against the Knicks. The Knicks went 3-1 against the Sixers this year, but they are both very different teams now than they were before. 

    Similarly, these two teams lost a star player in the latter half of the season, but the Knicks handled it much better. We all know what happened when Embiid went down, but the Knicks catapulted to the 2-seed in the absence of Julius Randle. Some may say the Knicks have a better chance without him, but not against the Sixers. Julius Randle has a rare combo of weight and speed that has caused trouble for the Sixers in the past. They do have some players more suitable to guard him now than last year, but I like our chances better without him.

    The Boston Celtics

    If the Sixers have Finals aspirations, then the Celtics shouldn’t scare them, but it’s more complicated than that. Lots of people are choosing the Celtics to not only win the East, but win the Finals as well. They are a great team and hold the NBA’s best record this year – by far. Normally, I’d say bring on the Celtics; we have to get them out of the way eventually, but not with the team chemistry we have now. When Embiid went down the team changed a lot, and teams need to be firing on all cylinders to beat the Celtics.

    The Celtics already beat the Sixers in 7 last year, and now they’re better. Now, they have Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday providing extra offensive threats. With two big men that can shoot (Porzingis and Horford), Embiid won’t have the privilege of camping down in the paint, anchoring the defense.

    With their other two stars, Tatum and Brown, the Celtics match up well against every team in the league. Not many teams have the athleticism, length, and interior defense to handle the caliber of players that the Celtics have. I think with the new additions of Oubre, Batum, and Lowry, the Sixers can beat this team in a tough series, but they need a few series to figure things out and build chemistry.

    What’s Different for the Sixers this year?

    First: Nick Nurse and not that scrub Glen Rivers (we already have two “Docs” in Philly. He’s not one of them). Nick Nurse is a great head coach with recent playoff experience that doesn’t involve choking leads. Watching Nurse’s offense for five minutes shows me how much of an upgrade we have at head coach. Rivers was stubborn. He wouldn’t change his defenses up or strategize his offensive scheme to expose weaker players. Nurse adapts. He switches his defense, targets other players, feeds the hot hands, and lets the players play to their strengths. He will help a lot, especially in a playoff series.

    Second: Joel Embiid has fresh(ish) legs. He just had surgery on his meniscus, but he obviously took rehab seriously to work on what he could. His shot is falling; he added a floater for a few games, and his defense hasn’t changed. As long as there are no more freak injuries like a broken face, torn thumb, another knee injury, etc., we’re in good shape and can beat any team in the league.

    Not one player in the NBA can hold Embiid down.
    It’s his time to build his legacy.

    Photo: Yong Kim

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • The Embiid Effect – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Embiid Effect – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Everybody knows the Sixers’ hype died down after Embiid suffered a meniscus injury.
    Everyone also had a lot of doubts about when he would return: Would he be healthy? In shape? Will he get injured again? etc.’

    While we can’t overlook some of those doubts, he has already proven he can still be at the top of his game even after missing an extended period of time.

    The team already looks brand new after just a few games back.

    Biggest Beneficiaries

    First off, the whole team obviously has a confidence boost after seeing Embiid take the floor and return to his dominant form.

    There’s no question that any team would have their spirits lifted tremendously when the reigning MVP returns to action, but certain players will improve more than others upon his return.

    Tyrese Maxey

    Maxey reaps the greatest rewards out of anybody else on the team. Although they’ve played just two games back together again, you can’t help but see the freedom that Embiid gives Maxey. It’s no secret that speed is Maxey’s greatest weapon, and when teams can constantly double-team him, it is hard for him to get moving – especially for a player his size.

    With Embiid back, the defensive focus instantly shifts. Teams can no longer afford to double-team Maxey because they are busily double-teaming (sometimes triple-teaming) Embiid. Now, Maxey can scream through the lane for easy buckets or use his lethal step-back move to hit 3s, demoralizing other teams.

    Maxey is easily Embiid’s best number two in his whole career. They complement each other so well.

    Kelly Oubre Jr.

    In his last four games, Oubre Jr. has averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3 assists, all significantly more than his season averages. When Embiid gets doubled, Oubre Jr. does well, placing himself in the dunker’s spot, where Embiid can quickly fire a pass over to him for an easy dunk.

    Other than Ben Simmons (who would pass on that shot), the Sixers haven’t had a player who could get quick elevation for intimidating dunks like Oubre Jr. in a long time. He has a way of switching the momentum and sparking runs with his explosive play.

    The Fans

    Whether it’s on the radio, TV, or talking with friends/family, nobody has cared about the Sixers recently. The home games have been subdued, and nobody wants to discuss them. Now, the juice is back. Embiid is the Luke Skywalker to the Sixers: our only hope. With him back, all balance can be restored to the process, and the Sixers could possibly win their first title in over 40 years.

    Playoff Picture

    With just three games left on the schedule, the Sixers find themselves one game behind the Pacers for the 6-seed and .5 games ahead of the Heat, holding down the 7-seed. The Sixers do not hold any of the tie-breakers with either team, so they need to finish a full game ahead of each team to lock in their spot.

    The two most likely opponents in the first round (after the play-in because that doesn’t count as a round in my book) are the Bucks or the Magic. Either one of those teams can end up as the second seed, and there is no reason the Sixers should lose the play-in game, putting them in the 2 vs. 7 seed game.

    Neither of those teams should scare anybody. The Bucks were 30-13 when they fired Adrian Griffin and then hired the incompetent coach, Glenn Rivers, to take his place. He has gone 15-17 in his tenure as Bucks Head coach. I really hope we get to play the Bucks.

    The Magic are a good team, but they are led by a second-year star, Paolo Banchero. Young teams typically struggle in the playoffs—especially against good, experienced teams like the Sixers. For the record, the Sixers went 2-0 against the Magic this year.

    The Sixers are a nightmare matchup for any of the higher-seeded teams.

    The Play-in

    A lot of people want to avoid the play-in, but why? If this Sixers team is good enough to make a run, then nobody should worry about any of the 8-10-seeded teams, and if they can’t handle a game against those teams, they have no business in the playoffs. It could give them some needed momentum and added time to gain chemistry before playing the better teams.

    Legacy Building

    Embiid could retire today and enter the NBA Hall of Fame, but that’s not what he wants. Right now, he’s an all-time Sixers great, but he could become one of the top five Philly athletes ever with a championship under his belt.

    Nobody would be angry with him about his injuries anymore.

    He is finally 100% healthy coming into the playoffs, and he’s rested. He needs to put it all together to make a run.
    The pieces are set around him to succeed this year—a good combination of veteran and young players, as well as a coach with championship experience.
    Let’s see what you can do, big man.

    Photo: Matt Slocum

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • Optimistic Updates on Embiid’s Possible Return Before the Playoffs – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Optimistic Updates on Embiid’s Possible Return Before the Playoffs – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    On Wednesday and Thursday, Nick Nurse and the Sixers provided the first real (sort of) update on Joel Embiid’s potential return before the end of the regular season.

    Nurse provides optimism 

    Prior to their game against the Clippers, Nick Nurse expressed his optimism that Joel Embiid will be back before the end of the regular season. Embiid is seven weeks removed from having surgery on his left knee and since then the Sixers have gone 10-18, falling to 8th place in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers’ current position would change greatly if Embiid is able to return within the next eight games. However, Nurse reiterated that there is still no timeline for his return and he will provide an update when Embiid progresses to more contact practice. That being said, he is continuing to do on-court work. 

    Adrian ​​Wojnarowski followed Nurse’s comments stating that Embiid will likely be back in action within the next few weeks. It’s no longer a question of if but when he will return and the belief is he will be back to play a handful of the team’s final games before the playoffs. Woj said he was told that Embiid is moving well and has looked good on the court. 

    If all of these updates don’t have you feeling hopeful about Embiid’s return to play soon, the one from Thursday certainly will.

    Back to Work

    Joel Embiid participated in practice on Thursday for the first time since January. The news dropped from the Sixers’ Twitter account where they teased a picture of Embiid getting shots up. He’s not yet playing 5-on-5 or taking any contact. However, he did participate in the team’s light practice where he went through skill work against other players. 

    Embiid’s teammates seem encouraged as well by his progression. Paul Reed said on Thursday that he feels Embiid is ready to come back pretty soon. He added that getting him ready for the playoffs is the top team priority. 

    The other positive news from Thursday is that Embiid traveled with the team on their two-game road trip to Cleveland and Toronto. While Embiid will not play during the road trip, it is an excellent sign for his return. This shows that Embiid has hit the phase of his recovery where it is better to have him get work in with the team than stay at home and rehab. His presence on the road will also spark a huge lift for a team struggling to find ways to win. Reed is excited about Embiid joining them stating, “He’s been our leader and main guy all season. I’m pretty sure everybody is going to feed off him.”

    After their current two-game trip, the Sixers will host the Thunder next Tuesday before heading on a three-game road trip against Miami, Memphis, and San Antonio to then return home to play their final three games of the season against Detroit, Orlando, and Brooklyn.

    All updates from this past week are encouraging, leading us to believe that when he gives the thumbs up Joel can be back before those eight games are up. Though it feels unlikely, Embiid’s earliest estimated return is against the Thunder.

    Photo: Jason Miller/GettyImages 

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    Caitlin Barrar

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  • Instant observations: Tobias Harris breaks out of slump, Sixers defeat Hornets

    Instant observations: Tobias Harris breaks out of slump, Sixers defeat Hornets

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    The Sixers made a quick stop at home Friday night for a matchup against the struggling Charlotte Hornets. It was a timely opponent for a Sixers team desperate for a win, and they took care of business, defeating the Hornets 121-114. Here is what jumped out from the victory:

    Nick Nurse makes big changes

    With Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton and Kelly Oubre Jr. all out for this contest, the Sixers’ head coach took the opportunity to get creative and change up his starting five. Nurse made some radical adjustments: he started Kyle Lowry alongside Tyrese Maxey, slid Buddy Hield up to the three, and replaced Paul Reed in the starting lineup with Mo Bamba. The Sixers’ starting unit in this one — Maxey, Lowry, Hield, Tobias Harris and Bamba — had never spent one single possession on the floor together before this one tipped off.

    Nurse has remained adamant that Nic Batum would be a long-term starter, as his several talents are tailor-made for someone who is rounding out a star-centric unit. But Batum returned to the bench Friday night. It is unclear how much of this is performance-based — Batum has struggled to leave a lasting impact on games since returning from another lengthy absence due to injury — and how much of this is about protecting him from missing time down the line. But it is certainly notable that Batum, who at one point seemed like a lock to start for the remainder of the season, has been returned to the bench after a period of regression.

    For as long as Embiid is out, Nurse is justified in experimenting with his lineups, because nothing has stuck since the reigning NBA MVP went down with his left meniscus injury. As the Sixers focus on maintaining their standing in the Eastern Conference’s top six seeds — and bypassing the NBA’s Play-In Tournament — Nurse must figure out how to maximize the capabilities of his injury-ridden roster.

    First Quarter

    • Harris got off to a nice start in this one, giving the Sixers a solid first eight minutes or so. He scored eight points, grabbed two rebounds and collected an assist, including knocking down two of his four attempts from beyond the arc, before checking back in and the end of the period and scoring twice more, including a buzzer beater three, to get to 13 points in the first 12 minutes. The Sixers have been desperate for Harris to break out of what has been possibly his single worst slump in five-plus years as a member of the team. With Embiid out, they have needed their veteran wing scorer to step up. Instead, he has been largely disastrous. The Sixers hope his nice start to this one can help him escape the struggles that have been plaguing him for weeks.

    • The most impressive aspect of Buddy Hield’s tremendous opening to his Sixers tenure was his playmaking. Just as much as he was knocking down tough shots, he was creating looks for others consistently — something he had never done very well in the NBA. Just as his shooting percentages have dipped in recent games, his assist numbers have gone down. Well, in the first quarter of this game he dished out four assists. His ability to leverage the attention defenses pay him because of his threatening nature as a three-point shooter into better looks for his teammates has been impressive.

    Second Quarter

    • After a solid defensive quarter in the first, the Sixers’ defense fell off a cliff in the opening minutes of the second period. First against a small-ball lineup with Harris and Batum manning the middle, and then against a lineup with Bamba at the five, the Hornets were getting to the rim with little deterrence and finishing there just as easily. For all of his flaws, the Embiid-less Sixers are at their best on the defensive end of the floor when Reed is in the game.

    • Ricky Council IV is clearly a ridiculous athlete, so much that just about every time he checks into the game he seems to make at least one play that impresses. In this one, he finally got the poster dunk he was longing for: Council duped a defender with a pass fake, opened up a driving lane and threw down an absolutely massive slam over Grant Williams. Council’s leaping ability is absolutely outrageous: 

    • After going down due to their poor interior defense and a hot shooting stretch from the Hornets, the Sixers put together an impressive run, led by Hield and punctuated by a three from Lowry. It was a much-needed spurt, as the Sixers were down by as many as a dozen in the middle of the quarter.

    • Before the trade deadline, it felt like the Sixers could really use another heady player who makes good decisions. Fast forward, and they have Lowry, simply a brilliant basketball mind who is leaving a significant impact on every game with both his play and his mind. It is more apparent than ever just how much the Sixers needed someone like him. A funny anecdote: as he was being replaced by Cam Payne in the final minutes of the first half, Lowry refused to leave the floor until each of his teammates on the floor had acknowledged the play he had called — a “Horns” set that the team frequents. Lowry finally stepped to the bench and continue to direct traffic on the possession from across the floor — and, yes, the Sixers did score on the possession.

    Third Quarter

    • It was more of the same from Harris early in the second half, a fantastic sign. He was able to continue scoring efficiently in a variety of ways, whether it be from beyond the arc, at the rim or in the intermediate area. At this point, even a half-decent game from Harris would have been an encouraging sign. Instead, he went above and beyond, truly leaving his mark on the game for the vast majority of the contest. The Sixers surely hope this performance can serve as a turning point of sorts for their $180 million man.

    • When you think about great shooters in the NBA, you think about the catch-and-shoot triples first and foremost. Maybe, if you are lucky, your best shooter can run around a bunch of screens and fire away while on the move. And then there are the truly great launchers: guys who can create their own shots from beyond the arc all on their own. And while Hield has never been thought of as an on-ball generator of offense, in addition to the aforementioned shot creation for others, he has displayed the ability to knock down off-the-dribble threes. Hield truly is an elite three-point shooter in every possible fashion.

    Fourth Quarter

    • Maxey received some rest in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, and it was clear that these minutes would be pivotal. The Sixers went to a lineup led by Lowry and Payne as ball-handlers, with Harris and Batum on the wing and Reed in the middle. That grouping gave Nurse excellent minutes: Harris and Lowry created timely offense, Batum knocked down his first three of the game and Reed was a stalwart at the rim. Those minutes could have easily sunk the Sixers. Instead, they propelled them.

    • Given Batum’s recent struggles, it was a significant encouraging sign to see him give the Sixers solid minutes, particularly in the second half. Batum did a little bit of everything, as he does when at the top of his game. It remains to be seen whether he will be a starter long-term or if he will be relegated to a bench role, but either way he figures to be a significant piece of the Sixers’ puzzle for the remainder of the season.

    • Reed has similarly not been himself of late, and so maybe there is something to him having his best game in recent memory Friday night after being returned to the bench. What matters much more than who starts a game is who logs the most minutes. Anecdotally, it feels as if Reed consistently gives the Sixers better minutes when coming off the bench. One thing is for sure: for as long as Embiid is unavailable, it remains crucial that Reed gives the Sixers quality production at the center position. On Friday night he did, and it was a major reason the Sixers were able to nab a victory. 

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • The Sixers have a Chemistry Problem – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Sixers have a Chemistry Problem – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Sixers don’t know how to play basketball without Joel Embiid. Granted, he’s a great player, but they look dysfunctional and disorganized without him. They’ve only won 7 out of 23 games. This situation gave players an opportunity to get some extra playing time to prove themselves and get aggressive on offense, but some have squandered this opportunity.

    Biggest Woe

    Tobias Harris remains the biggest problem on the Sixers. Imagine the difference his $184 million could have made on legitimately any other player or players in the league. He wastes space on the floor and continually kills the team with his inconsistency and lack of aggression on offense. This time without Embiid should have opened up more opportunities for him to score and get into a rhythm, but he accomplished quite the opposite.

    Many words can describe Harris’ performance against the Bucks and the Knicks, but disgraceful seems to do the job best. In both games he scored less than 10 points and had at least a -11 +/-. For a guy that should be the second option with Embiid out, he sure does not live up to it. It really is a shame.

    Chemistry Issues

    Not that this should come as a surprise to anyone, but the Sixers have not looked like a unit with the big man continuing his rehab. Not only did the Sixers lose the player with the highest usage percentage in the NBA (unofficially because he does not meet the minutes restriction), they also slightly revamped their roster.

    Buddy Hield has had a very good start with the Sixers, but that hasn’t translated into a winning formula so far. He’s had relatively high usage at 20.9%. Even with a good player, that will no doubt provide chemistry issues with any team. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing, but it isn’t a glaring positive at the moment. I have no worry that he will really help this team moving forward, but in the meantime, they need to figure things out.

    Another new trade acquisition, Cam Payne, also has a high usage percentage with the team at 21.8%. This brings the same chemistry issues. He has provided a spark off the bench here and there, but nothing earth-shattering. He doesn’t turn the ball over much, but any point guard with a new team needs time to gel.

    Moving Forward

    Ideally, the Sixers can build chemistry and keep themselves out of the play-in game while Embiid nurses himself to full health. The team can’t afford to rush Embiid back before he’s fully healthy, so they need to hold down the fort in the meantime.

    Hopefully, when Embiid returns, he can plug right in and boost the team back into championship contention with the new pieces around him. It would devastate the team and their playoff hopes if he comes back and the chemistry resets. Embiid is such a talent so playing with him shouldn’t be too hard, but not many teams can win it all with plug and play players that don’t have chemistry.

    Hield’s fit with Embiid

    During this time of “hanging in there,” Nick Nurse should evaluate the play styles of his new players which hopefully he can use to game plan for Embiid’s return. Obviously he’s familiar with Embiid’s game and Lowry’s as well, but Hield could prove a fantastic fit with Embiid.

    With Hield’s incredible catch-and-shoot ability, a formulated two-man game between him and Embiid could prove to be lethal against any team they play against. Mix that in with Maxey and they could become the new three headed monster that we all hoped we had with Simmons, Fultz, and Embiid.

    Obviously, this fully revolves around Embiid’s availability and his fitness level. We will have to eagerly wait for the next Embiid update to decide if we can start to hope for the playoffs or expect another disappointing ending.

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • Sixers Flirting with Dangerous Territory – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Sixers Flirting with Dangerous Territory – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Don’t get me wrong, the Sixers are having a great season. It has been incredibly fun to watch after the less than optimal start to the season. Nick Nurse has been refreshing, and Embiid has played so well that I almost forgot James Harden was on the team this year; however, they still only sit at the third seed in the east with the Knicks close behind.

    History of NBA Champions’ Seeding

    Teams that finish the regular season with the 1 seed are the obvious favorites to win the NBA Finals. Teams with the 1 seed have made the finals 89 times, the 2 seed – 39 times, 3 seed – 16 times, 4 seed – 5 times, and the 5-8 seeds combined have made it 5 times.

    So, historically, teams that fall out of the top 3 have a very tough time getting to the NBA finals. The Sixers are finding themselves falling into that territory right now. Between the rocky start with new players and a new coach, and Embiid missing his usual lot of games, they could find themselves as the road team in the second round of the playoffs if they aren’t careful.

    What’s Gone Wrong So Far?

    As usual, Joel Embiid has missed a ton of games so far this season. 12 to be exact. If he misses 5 more games, he will be ineligible to receive MVP even though he has dominated the league more than anyone has in years. This isn’t a “bash Embiid” session, but the big man needs to find a way to stay healthy. Home court advantage gives teams major advantages in the playoffs – as seen above.

    Oubre and Melton have also missed 14 and 12 games respectively. These two should contribute heavily to this team, but with them missing so much time it has forced Nick Nurse to give more minutes to Korkmaz, Springer, and Martin, who will most certainly not see much time in the playoffs. These guys need to stay healthy to develop the chemistry needed for the playoffs and to give the team a boost to get better seeding before April 20th comes around.

    A handful of others players have also missed a few games including Maxey, Tobias, Batum, and Beverly. Hopefully the team is getting the injury bug over with earlier so they can dominate down the road.

    What’s Gone Right?

    The Centers

    First off: Paul Reed.

    Out of all the injuries the Sixers have had, Reed has not missed a game. I don’t know why Glen Rivers hated this guy so much, but now that he has firmly taken the backup center position, he has done a great job. He is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, blocks, and assists this year. It is nice to see him get a real chance.

    Also, even though it was a loss, he had a career night against Jokic, scoring 30 points and 13 rebounds with no Embiid, Maxey, Tobias, or Melton. Having games like that against a premier player like Jokic could get him a starting gig somewhere around the league.

    This goes without saying, but Embiid has been the other shining positive this year. He has just been so dominant in every game he’s played. By the way, he still has more points than minutes on the season. He is well on his way to be the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to do so, AND he is averaging more points per minute than Wilt did in 1961. What a phenomenal player.

    We’ll Have to Wait and See

    We can look at the history of the NBA seeding and talk about Embiid’s playoff woes all we want, but none of it means this will not be Embiid’s year. Continuing to play at this level will cause a lot of problems for teams in the playoffs. He will have to stay healthy, but the future looks bright for Embiid and the Sixers this year.

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    Collin Benjamin

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  • Doncic’s 30-point streak hits 8 games as Mavs beat Raptors

    Doncic’s 30-point streak hits 8 games as Mavs beat Raptors

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    DALLAS — Luka Doncic scored 35 points, his eighth consecutive game of at least 30 to begin the season, as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Toronto Raptors 111-110 on Friday night.

    The only other NBA player to score 30 or more points in the first eight games of a season is Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in the first eight games of 1959-60 and the first 23 games of 1962-63.

    Doncic played 37 minutes and passed the 30-point mark with 18.7 seconds left in the third quarter on a turnaround fadeaway jumper.

    The Raptors cut a 19-point third-quarter deficit to 108-105 with 35.5 seconds left. Doncic sank the first of two free throws with 15.9 seconds to gain a four-point lead. O.G. Anunoby drove for a dunk with 11 seconds left. Spencer Dinwiddie hit two free throws with 3 seconds to go, making the score 111-107. Anunoby hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

    Dinwiddie had 21 points and seven assists for the Mavericks, who have won three straight games after splitting their first six.

    The Mavericks outscored the Raptors 14-2 during the first four minutes of the second half to build a 73-57 lead. During the run, Doncic had a 3-pointer, two free throws, two steals, a rebound and an assist.

    Anunoby scored 27 points, Pascal Siakam 18 and Chris Boucher 17 off the bench for the Raptors, who came off wins of 30 points and 43 points. The latter, at San Antonio on Monday, was the franchise’s largest road victory margin.

    Doncic scored 14 points in the first quarter, playing the full period, and added only two in the second quarter, playing only the final 4½ minutes.

    TIP-INS

    Raptors: G Fred VanVleet, fourth in the NBA in steals, missed his third-consecutive game with lower back stiffness. Coach Nick Nurse said he thought VanVleet would play after going through a full practice on Thursday. “I’m expecting him pretty soon to be back,” Nurse said.

    Mavericks: C Dwight Powell, a Toronto native, made his second start of the season, replacing JaVale McGee in the starting lineup.

    UP NEXT

    Raptors: Begin a home-and-home with Chicago at home on Sunday.

    Mavericks: Host Brooklyn on Monday.

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    AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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