ATLANTA (AP) — John Collins already has seen what playoff success has done to raise the hometown excitement for the Atlanta Hawks. Collins is eager for the opportunity to build more enthusiasm now that the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers has shifted to Atlanta. With the series tied 1-1, Game 3 will be played on Friday. There is less heading into Friday's Game 3 matchup between Phoenix and Denver. The Suns hold a 2-0 lead over the Nuggets in their Western Conference semifinal in a series that Phoenix seems to be in total control. In Atlanta, the Hawks announced a sellout on Thursday for Game 3 and said only a few seats remain for Monday's Game 4. The Hawks have won 13 consecutive home games, the longest active streak in the NBA. The streak includes two home wins as Atlanta beat the New York Knicks in five games in the first round. Collins said he found evidence of Atlanta's playoff fever at his neighborhood gas station. “I go into the same gas... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Hawks return to Atlanta beaming with confidence in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers despite their inability to slow down, much less stop, Joel Embiid. The 76ers big man has scored 79 points in the first two games at Philadelphia to open the series, which is tied 1-1 heading into Friday's Game 3 in Atlanta — where the Hawks have won 13 consecutive games. It's the longest active home winning streak in the NBA. “I hope fans are ready to rock the house on Friday,” Trae Young said after Philadelphia's 118-102 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night. The Hawks will need their fans — but they also know they have to correct some issues on the court. They expect better outside shooting from Young and his backcourt partner Bogdan Bogdanovic. And until they find a defensive combination to slow Embiid, Atlanta will have to do a better job of containing his teammates. The challenge of containing the 76ers' outside shooting grew Wednesday when the Hawks... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Hawks return to Atlanta beaming with confidence in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers despite their inability to slow down, much less stop, Joel Embiid. The 76ers big man has scored 79 points in the first two games at Philadelphia to open the series, which is tied 1-1 heading into Friday's Game 3 in Atlanta — where the Hawks have won 13 consecutive games. It's the longest active home winning streak in the NBA. “I hope fans are ready to rock the house on Friday,” Trae Young said after Philadelphia's 118-102 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night. The Hawks will need their fans — but they also know they have to correct some issues on the court. They expect better outside shooting from Young and his backcourt partner Bogdan Bogdanovic. And until they find a defensive combination to slow Embiid, Atlanta will have to do a better job of containing his teammates. The challenge of containing the 76ers' outside shooting grew Wednesday when the Hawks... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Hawks return to Atlanta beaming with confidence in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers despite their inability to slow down, much less stop, Joel Embiid. The 76ers big man has scored 79 points in the first two games at Philadelphia to open the series, which is tied 1-1 heading into Friday's Game 3 in Atlanta — where the Hawks have won 13 consecutive games. It's the longest active home winning streak in the NBA. “I hope fans are ready to rock the house on Friday,” Trae Young said after Philadelphia's 118-102 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night. The Hawks will need their fans — but they also know they have to correct some issues on the court. They expect better outside shooting from Young and his backcourt partner Bogdan Bogdanovic. And until they find a defensive combination to slow Embiid, Atlanta will have to do a better job of containing his teammates. After finishing second to Denver's Nikola Jokic in MVP voting announced before Game... [More]

Phoenix's Deandre Ayton had Guy Fieri leaping out of his courtside seat with a thundering dunk. Atlanta's Trae Young had Spike Lee leaving early in disappointment. Dallas' Luka Doncic impressed Paul George so much that the Clippers’ veteran insisted on trading jerseys with the youngster. They’re all part of the NBA’s draft class of 2018. And that group, so far, might be the class of these playoffs. Doncic is gone, but plenty of others — Young, Ayton, Michael Porter Jr., Mikal Bridges, Kevin Huerter, Bruce Brown and more — from the group that got drafted three years ago remain. And they’ve seemed right at home in this postseason, even though for many it’s the first time on this big a stage. “I think it’s the best class in NBA history,” Ayton, the Phoenix center who went No. 1 overall in that class three years ago, said after the Suns won their first-round series over the 2020 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. “That’s how I feel. ... Guys like Luka, MPJ and Trae, it’s been great to watch us... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dwight Howard gushed over his first year in Philly, a train-of-thought review on his favorite cheesesteak spot and the dairy dessert the Sixers give away at home games, and he even hummed a few bars to the team’s theme song. Fun! But when the topic turned to Joel Embiid, Howard’s belief that the injured big man can play in Game 1 of Philadelphia's second-round playoff series against Atlanta brought the laughter to a halt. “He should be ready to go,” Howard said. Wait a minute, is the backup center — and one of the top rebounders in NBA history — really breaking news on Embiid’s status for Sunday's game against the Hawks. Pressed for the scoop that Embiid actually will play, Howard suddenly backtracked on his breaking news update. “Oh, nooooooo, you didn’t hear me say that one,” Howard said. “I expect him to be great when he plays. That’s all.” That’s all the Sixers expect, as well, but Embiid’s status remained unknown Saturday because of a cartilage tear in his right... [More]

Philadelphia, Utah and Atlanta can reach the second round. Dallas or the Los Angeles Clippers will get to the verge of it. Yet as Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant try to save their seasons and Trae Young looks for a clinching victory, eyes will be on the action in the seats right along with the court. The games Wednesday are the first for all three of those players in the arenas where they were the subjects of ugly fan actions in Game 2 of these first-round series. The unruly fan behavior continued Monday when a spectator was tackled after running onto the court in Washington, and Young noticed. “They doing it for attention now,” he wrote on Twitter. Young was cursed at in both games and spit on in the second one at Madison Square Garden, the only game the Knicks won in the series. The Hawks went home and easily took Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta. Now they can silence the New York fans for the summer. Hawks coach Nate McMillan said he feels safe as the team returns to New York, adding that the... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies fans cheered Mike Conley earlier this year when he finally earned All-Star recognition in his 14th season. Now they're trying hard not to boo the guard they loved for so long. “Sometimes you live long enough to become the villain, and I’ve become that for I guess the Memphis Grizzlies now," Conley said. Conley is trying to lead the top-seeded Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals, which eluded him during a seven-year playoff run in Memphis. Conley is taking on his replacement in Memphis in Ja Morant, who has the Grizzlies back in the playoffs for the first time in four years. Morant is leading the youngest roster in this postseason with 33.7 points per game, trailing only Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard. Conley, who scored 27 in a 121-111 win that gave the Jazz a 2-1 lead, says it feels he's come full circle in a way he never expected. “It’s amazing to be playing against a guy like Ja first off, just seeing a guy that is so talented, a young superstar in the... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Simmons put a spin move on Russell Westbrook that sent him sprawling to the floor several minutes before an ankle injury sent the NBA’s triple-double king to the locker room and nearly into the stands to confront a misbehaving fan. With Simmons soaring and Westbrook ailing, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 120-95 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series. Game 3 is Saturday night at Washington. Westbrook went down after colliding with Furkan Korkmaz early in the fourth quarter. He limped off the floor and then was restrained by security after a fan threw popcorn at him as he was headed under the tunnel. “We’ll see," Westbrook said about his availability for the next game. "Hurt it twice in a short amount of time. We’ll see what happens.” As for the incident with the fan, Westbrook said: “I wouldn’t come up to me on the street and throw popcorn on my head, because you know what happens. ... In these arenas, you gotta... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Simmons put a spin move on Russell Westbrook that sent him sprawling to the floor several minutes before a leg injury sent the NBA’s triple-double king to the locker room. With Simmons soaring and Westbrook ailing, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 120-95 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series. Game 3 is Saturday night at Washington. Westbrook went down after colliding with Furkan Korkmaz early in the fourth quarter. He limped off the floor and was restrained by security after a fan threw popcorn at him as he was headed under the tunnel. Simmons and Joel Embiid each scored 22 points and Tobias Harris added 19 for the top-seeded Sixers. Simmons added nine rebounds and eight assists after becoming just the sixth player in NBA history to have at least 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a playoff game in a 125-118 win in Game 1 The three-time All-Star still heard plenty of criticism in Philadelphia following that stellar... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Doc Rivers can’t fathom criticism of Ben Simmons, especially after the three-time All-Star became just the sixth player in NBA history to have at least 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a playoff game. “Only in Philadelphia,” Rivers said Tuesday when asked about the critics. “If you guys don’t know the treasure you have by now, then shame on everyone because he’s been fantastic for us. He creates points every single night for us. When Ben was on the floor, we were really good. “I’m amazed that people don’t see what he does. We’re so caught up in the amount of points he scored. ... Does it matter if Ben had all 125? Would we be mad that Joel (Embiid) didn’t score? Who cares who scores as long as we’re scoring. ... When Ben plays, we score more points.” Simmons scored six points in Philadelphia's 125-118 victory over Washington in Game 1 of their first-round series opener. He missed all six of his free throws and his shooting deficiencies sometimes overshadow his all-around... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid sank a step-back jumper in the final minute of the best game of his NBA career, ran back with his arms raised high over his head as piped-in “M-V-P!” “M-V-P!” chants blared through the arena and beckoned with his hands for imaginary fans — for sure, the Philadelphia 76ers’ fanatics watching at home — to get loud. Embiid plays with as much fun as any MVP front-runner, and on the February night he dropped 50 points on the Chicago Bulls, he sent a sign to the fans they are with him in spirit. “The fans are always there for me when I play,” Embiid said. “I play for the fans, I play for the city. All my goals when I play basketball are related to the city of Philadelphia. I feel like they’re here for us even when they’re not. I always feel their presence.” Guess what, Joel: Sixers fans are allowed back in the building on Sunday, and if they are among the lucky 3,100 to snag a ticket — lower-center tickets can be found on StubHub for up to $1,250 a pop — they’ll... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — All-Star center Joel Embiid didn't get his hands on the ball much in the first half Tuesday night, but his Philadelphia teammates made the Toronto Raptors pay in the 76ers' 109-102 victory. Tobias Harris scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter after the 76ers built a big early lead with long-range shooting, ending Toronto's four-game winning streak. “I thought we had a chance for a high-scoring game when they took the ball out of Joel's hands, but I thought our guys played well,” Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. “The turnovers (18) hurt us, no doubt, but we made great decisions and that's how you win games.” Embiid made only 3 of 13 shots and finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six turnovers. Furkan Korkmanz had 19 points and made five of Philadelphia's 17 3-pointers and shot 17 for 38 (44.7%) from behind the arc while the Raptors were denying Embiid the ball. “I should have run a better rotation scheme, let's leave it at that,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tobias Harris scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and the Philadelphia 76ers beat Toronto 109-102 on Tuesday night to end the Raptors' four-game winning streak. Joel Embiid had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers, and Furkan Korkmanz added 19 points. Normal Powell led the Raptors with 24 points. Pascal Siakam added 22 and Fred VanVleet had 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Ben Simmons finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the 76ers, who overcame seven fourth-quarter turnovers to end their four-game road losing streak. Korkmanz scored 16 points in the first quarter and the 76ers led by 21 after Harris' layup completed a 7-0 run midway through the second quarter. The 76ers led by 16 early in the fourth quarter, but Terence Davis scored three straight baskets and Siakam scored twice on an 18-8 run that got the margin down to six with 5:05 left. Harris responded with a couple of inside shots and a 3-pointer, and Embid scored... [More]

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

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers officially named Daryl Morey president of basketball operations and extended the contract of general manager Elton Brand on Monday. Morey stepped down as GM of the Houston Rockets this month after blockbuster moves that failed to lead the franchise to the NBA Finals. The Rockets made the playoffs 10 times since Morey was hired in 2007, including the last eight seasons, for the longest active streak in the NBA. “Talent like Daryl rarely becomes available so we moved quickly and aggressively to bring him here," team owner Josh Harris said. “He has an extraordinary track record of success in this league as an innovator, visionary and leader, and I believe he significantly improves our chances of delivering a championship caliber team to our fans. This offseason, we made it our mission to make this organization better and stronger. ” Brand was named general manager on Sept. 20, 2018. He helped lead the hiring process that landed coach Doc Rivers early... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are in advanced negotiations with former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to become president of basketball operations as part of their front-office overhaul that began after an underachieving season, multiple people with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The deal is expected to be finalized as early as this weekend, according to the people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday because it has not been made official. Elton Brand will remain general manager, they said. Morey stepped down as GM of the Rockets earlier this month after blockbuster moves that failed to lead the franchise to the NBA Finals. The Rockets made the playoffs 10 times since Morey was hired in 2007, including the last eight seasons, for the longest active streak in the NBA. He was responsible for the trade that brought James Harden to Houston from Oklahoma City. The Rockets reached the Western Conference finals twice... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Doc Rivers takes over a team tasked not with leading a Process-type rebuild or massaging the egos of two talented — yet frustrating — All-Stars. He's in Philadelphia to bring accountability to an oft-apathetic roster — and win big. Rivers brings his NBA championship credibility to the 76ers to resuscitate a franchise that entered this season with title expectations and ended it with grim concerns over its bloated payroll, incompatible mix of talent, and doubts that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons can truly co-exist and lead the Sixers to their first title since 1983. Enter Rivers, the 58-year-old former NBA guard who coached the Boston Celtics to the championship in 2008 and another NBA Finals appearance in 2010. Just two days after he split with the Los Angeles Clippers, Rivers was in Philadelphia with ownership and general manager Elton Brand, and on Thursday he accepted the job to succeed Brett Brown. “Welcome to the city of Brotherly Love Coach @DocRivers !!!! Excited... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The next coach of the Philadelphia 76ers can count on having Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.One day after the Sixers fired Brett Brown following another early playoff exit, general manager Elton Brand said he’s evaluating the front office and considering more changes but doesn’t plan to trade either of his two top stars.“I’m not looking to trade Ben or Joel,” Brand said Tuesday. “I’m looking to complement them better. They are 24 and 26 years old, respectively. You try to make that fit as long as you can. They want to be here, they want to be with our organization and I see them here for a long, long time.”Simmons was sidelined for Philadelphia’s first-round sweep against Boston.“That’s a huge key to us getting swept,” Brand said. “I would love to see this group with Ben Simmons, but I don’t want to make any excuses. But I think that attention to detail, that energy level, that certain push that we didn’t have at times.”The Sixers underachieved after reaching the Eastern... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Patient and positive, Brett Brown was the perfect coach for the Philadelphia 76ers when they set up a long-term home in the NBA basement.They'll be looking for someone else now that they want to be on top.The 76ers fired coach Brown on Monday, a day after his seventh season ended in a first-round postseason sweep.The 76ers were 43-30 this season and had woefully underachieved in a year when they were expected to be serious contenders in the Eastern Conference.After the sixth-seeded Sixers were swept by the Boston Celtics, the move was expected.“I have a tremendous level of respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he’s done for the 76ers organization and the city of Philadelphia,” general manager Elton Brand said in a statement. “He did many positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three straight postseason appearances. Unfortunately, we fell well short of our goals this year and I believe... [More]