Joel Embiid expects his first playoff game in Philadelphia to be quite a scene."It's going to be lit," Embiid said.And if the 76ers win, there will be more games like it next week.The 76ers can become the first team into the Eastern Conference semifinals when they host the Miami Heat on Tuesday in Game 5 of the only East series that isn't tied.Also Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors get their second chance to eliminate San Antonio, and the Celtics and Bucks return to Boston for Game 5 of a series in which the home team has won every game.Embiid was still sidelined while recovering from a broken orbital bone around his left eye for the first two games in Philadelphia, then returned to help the 76ers win Games 3 and 4 in Miami.Now the 76ers, who just two years ago lost 72 games in one of the worst seasons ever while the Warriors were winning an NBA-record 73, can join the defending champions in the second round on the same night. The 76ers have advanced to the East semis just twice since... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Milwaukee Bucks win a playoff game but couldn't score a table at a Mexican restaurant.Antetokounmpo says the social media-fueled mess over the missed meal isn't a big deal.The food flare-up started after a Bucks fan posted a picture on Twitter of the All-Star forward waiting at BelAir Cantina on Sunday.Earlier that afternoon, Antetokounmpo's putback with 5 seconds left helped the Bucks beat the Boston Celtics in Game 4 to tie their first-round playoff series. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Boston.The fan's post went viral. He says Antetokounmpo stayed 10 minutes before leaving. The restaurant later posted a message on social media apologizing for not seating Antetokounmpo in "as timely a manner as we would have hoped."The forward told reporters in Boston on Monday that he left only because his ankle was bothering him. Antetokounmpo missed a couple of games late in the regular season with a sore right ankle.Antetokounmpo says he knows the restaurant's owners and calls them "really good people." He added that he plans to take up the owners' offer to pay for his next meal.___More AP NFL: https://pro32.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

SPRINGFIELD, Pa. (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is shaping up to be the answer to Philly fans' prayers, and he shocked parishioners by showing up during the middle of some at a small Roman Catholic church this weekend.St. Kevin Parish in Springfield, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) outside Philadelphia, posted photos on Facebook of the player posing with thrilled churchgoers as he attended their 5:30 p.m. Mass Sunday.The posting says, "God bless, Joel Embiid and his beautiful spirituality."Assistant Coach Billy Lange was also in attendance.Embiid scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Sixers' 106-102 victory against the Heat Saturday.His team leads the Eastern Conference series, 3-1, and they could close out the series with a win at home Tuesday night.

Joel Embiid expects his first playoff game in Philadelphia to be quite a scene."It's going to be lit," Embiid said.And if the 76ers win, there will be more games like it next week.The 76ers can become the first team into the Eastern Conference semifinals when they host the Miami Heat on Tuesday in Game 5 of the only East series that isn't tied.Also Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors get their second chance to eliminate San Antonio, and the Celtics and Bucks return to Boston for Game 5 of a series in which the home team has won every game.Embiid was still sidelined while recovering from a broken orbital bone around his left eye for the first two games in Philadelphia, then returned to help the 76ers win Games 3 and 4 in Miami.Now the 76ers, who just two years ago lost 72 games in one of the worst seasons ever while the Warriors were winning an NBA-record 73, can join the defending champions in the second round on the same night. The 76ers have advanced to the East semis just twice since... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks knew John Wall would be back to his explosive, elite self for the playoffs when the All-Star point guard was able to play 38 minutes in a regular-season loss at Cleveland.It took Wall one additional outing to be absolutely certain he' d be OK after coming back from surgery on his left knee, pointing to his 29-point, 12-assist effort against Boston five days later."I had a big game," he said Monday, looking back at that victory from a couple of weeks ago. "Kind of just started to see shots fall that I was falling short on the couple of games I had before that."As Wall prepares to lead the No. 8 seed Wizards into Game 5 against the No. 1 seed Raptors on Wednesday night in Toronto, it is as if he never was away for more than two months. As if he never needed that operation in the first place. As if he got a chance to ramp up for the postseason for more than merely four games.And all of that outside chatter about whether Washington might... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards point guard John Wall says he's fine after tweaking his right ankle late in a Game 4 victory over the No. 1 seed Raptors and is looking forward to seeing rapper Drake at Game 5 in Toronto.The teams are tied 2-2 heading into Wednesday night's matchup.The home team has won every game in the first-round Eastern Conference series.Wall is a big reason the No. 8 seed Wizards pulled even after falling behind 2-0.He says that during the games in Toronto, Drake told him the Raptors were going to sweep the series.Wall is averaging 26.8 points, 13 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Not bad for a guy who had surgery on his left knee during the regular season and appeared in only 41 games. He says Monday he never had any doubt he'd be able to excel in the playoffs.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MIAMI (AP) — Philadelphia's six leading average scorers so far in the playoffs, in order are: Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, Joel Embiid, JJ Redick, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova.Their homelands: Australia, Croatia, Cameroon, the United States, Italy and Turkey.Philadelphia — a melting pot of humanity for more than 300 years — has a basketball team probably as diverse as the city itself. The 76ers, 19-1 in their last 20 games and suddenly looking very much like an NBA Finals contender, will try to close out the Miami Heat and clinch their Eastern Conference opening series when they play host to Game 5 on Tuesday night.About a dozen languages and dialects can be spoken in the 76ers locker room at any time, but clearly, winning is a universal language."It's all basketball, but the true side of how people coach, speak, say, play the game is different," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "And that collection now that I have with everybody is like is a melting pot of all peoples experiences. That... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — With every Anthony Davis put-back dunk, reverse alley-oop jam, step-back 3-pointer or game-sealing block in the playoffs, the New Orleans Pelicans take a step closer to becoming the NBA's next small-market success story.That didn't quite happen with Chris Paul, who essentially forced a trade after his sixth season in the Big Easy amid concerns about uncertain ownership.The 25-year-old Davis is now in his sixth season in New Orleans. And the five-time All-Star is not only playing historically good basketball, but seems to see no need for moving vans in order to go ring hunting.Davis, after all, was a young fan when Reggie Miller was in the twilight of an 18-year career with Indiana that transformed the Pacers into playoff regulars — and while Tim Duncan was embarking on a long career in San Antonio highlighted by five NBA titles."There's always, you know, 'You can't win in a small market or you can't get noticed in a small market,' but then you look at those guys and they've... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Philadelphia's six leading average scorers so far in the playoffs, in order are: Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, Joel Embiid, JJ Redick, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova.Their homelands: Australia, Croatia, Cameroon, the United States, Italy and Turkey.Philadelphia — a melting pot of humanity for more than 300 years — has a basketball team probably as diverse as the city itself. The 76ers, 19-1 in their last 20 games and suddenly looking very much like an NBA Finals contender, will try to close out the Miami Heat and clinch their Eastern Conference opening series when they play host to Game 5 on Tuesday night.About a dozen languages and dialects can be spoken in the 76ers locker room at any time, but clearly, winning is a universal language."It's all basketball, but the true side of how people coach, speak, say, play the game is different," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "And that collection now that I have with everybody is like is a melting pot of all peoples experiences. That... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Milwaukee Bucks win a playoff game but couldn't score a table at a Mexican restaurant.A Bucks fan posted a picture on social media of the All-Star forward waiting at BelAir Cantina on Sunday.Earlier that afternoon, Antetokounmpo's putback with 5 seconds left helped the Bucks beat the Boston Celtics in Game 4 to tie their first-round playoff series. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Boston.At 6-foot-11, Antetokounmpo is pretty hard to miss in Milwaukee. But he was apparently shut out for lunch.The fan's post went viral. He says Antetokounmpo stayed 10 minutes before leaving. The restaurant later posted a message on social media apologizing for not seating Antetokounmpo in "as timely a manner as we would have hoped."They say they'll hold a table open for him after Game 6 on Thursday in Milwaukee. They're also offering a free taco promotion for fans.

SYDNEY (AP) — NBA veteran Andrew Bogut is set to join the Sydney Kings in Australia's National Basketball League.The Sydney club issued a brief statement Monday saying it had submitted paperwork to the NBL for Bogut's recruitment. The Kings said they'd make no further comment "but will provide an update in due course."Speculation about the big Australian center's pending move to Sydney intensified late Sunday after tweets from the club and from Bogut, who kicked things off with a post that read: "Are there any roster spots left for the upcoming @NBL season? Asking for a friend......?"No details of the deal have been confirmed. The NBL, which runs the eight-team league, said it had received paperwork from the Kings regarding Bogut and "we are following the standard player contract process as we do for all players."Bogut revealed in March that he wouldn't be returning to the NBA this season in order to remain in Australia with his pregnant wife.After being waived by the Los Angeles Lakers... [More]

SYDNEY (AP) — NBA veteran Andrew Bogut is set to join the Sydney Kings in Australia's National Basketball League.The Sydney club issued a brief statement Monday saying it had submitted paperwork to the NBL for Bogut's recruitment. The Kings said they'd make no further comment "but will provide an update in due course."Speculation about the big Australian center's pending move to Sydney intensified late Sunday after tweets from the club and from Bogut, who kicked things off with a post that read: "Are there any roster spots left for the upcoming @NBL season? Asking for a friend......?"No details of the deal have been confirmed.Bogut revealed in March that he wouldn't be returning to the NBA this season in order to remain in Australia with his pregnant wife.After being waived by the Los Angeles Lakers in January, it was expected the 33-year-old free agent would join a contending team for a playoff push.But Bogut said he'd stay in Australia and focus on returning in the 2018-19 season. He... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers point guard George Hill will miss Game 4 at Indiana because of back spasms. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by veteran Jose Calderon.Coach Tyronn Lue made the announcement Sunday about 90 minutes before tip-off and says he's not sure if Hill would be ready for Game 5 on Wednesday.Hill aggravated his back in Friday's 92-90 loss and was struggling to move over the past two days. The three-time defending Eastern Conference champs trail the Pacers 2-1.Calderon scored five points in 13½ minutes in the Cavs' Game 2 victory but did not play in Game 3.Tristan Thompson also should see more playing time Sunday after logging 1 minute, 59 seconds in the first three games.___More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Another late-season surge, another first-round exit.The Portland Trail Blazers head into the offseason with plenty of questions, with speculation that big changes could be ahead. Minutes after the Blazers were swept by the New Orleans Pelicans in the opening round, Blazers coach Terry Stotts was already addressing how Portland gets better going forward.Stotts said he has confidence that Portland President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey will keep the team pointed in the right direction."It's tough to evaluate after a playoff loss," Stotts said. "We had a good regular season. We did a lot of positive things in the regular season, but ultimately you're defined by the postseason. I think it's still a little early right now to say what direction we're going to go and what needs to be done moving forward, but one thing is that Neil is really good."Portland made it to the playoffs for the fifth straight year after finishing the season 49-33 and winning the Northwest... [More]

Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double, so he gets plenty of attention. Ricky Rubio just had a triple-double , earning him some time in the headlines. Donovan Mitchell has been great in his first three playoff games, so the fascination with the rookie star is only growing.It's easy to notice those guys.Rudy Gobert should be getting noticed as well.Utah is taking a 2-1 lead into their Western Conference first-round series against Oklahoma City on Monday night, and Gobert is probably as responsible for the Jazz being in that position than anyone. He's controlling the backboards, he's changing shots, he's thwarting Westbrook and he's showing why he's the likely Defensive Player of the Year."It makes the guards' jobs a lot easier," Mitchell said of the French safety net with the 7-foot-9 wingspan who protects the rim for the Jazz. "You feel more secure on the wing. ... The whole season, I've been saying if somebody gets by me, it's like, 'All right, go ahead, try it. Because I've tried... [More]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers point guard George Hill is still listed as questionable for Sunday night's Game 4 against Indiana because of an injured back.Hill aggravated the injury in Friday's 92-90 loss. The three-time defending Eastern Conference champs trail the Pacers 2-1.Coach Tyronn Lue says veteran Jose Calderon will start if Hill doesn't.Calderon scored five points in 13½ minutes in the Cavs' Game 2 victory but did not play in Game 3.Tristan Thompson also is expected to see more playing time in Game 4 after playing a total of 1 minute, 59 seconds in the first three games — all in the Cavs' 18-point Game 1 loss.Thompson, Lue says, will add toughness and rebounding to the lineup.___More AP NBA: www.apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Now that five-time All-Star Anthony Davis has his first taste of a playoff triumph, he sounds eager to see what's next.Davis' Pelicans looked like anything but a shoo-in for the postseason after fellow All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was lost for the season in late January with an Achilles tear. They needed 81 games just to clinch a playoff spot. They ran the table during a pressure-packed final five games of the regular season, climbing to sixth in the Western Conference.Four games later, New Orleans is on a nine-game winning streak and moving on to the second round of the playoffs for only the second time in 16 seasons since the NBA returned to the city in 2002."A lot of people counted us out after the injury to DeMarcus, so this is amazing," Davis said following Saturday's series-clinching, 131-123 victory over third-seeded Portland. "But we have to get ready for the second round."The Pelicans appear destined to play second-seeded Golden State in Round 2. The Warriors entered... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has fined Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris and twin brother Marcus Morris of the Boston Celtics for their roles in separate incidents during playoff games.Markieff Morris has been fined $25,000 by the NBA on Saturday for attempting to escalate an altercation and pushing an official during a game against Toronto on Friday night. Morris shoved official Ken Mauer aside when Morris and Toronto's OG Anunoby had to be separated after a near-fight that drew other players less than three minutes into the Wizards' 122-103 victory.Meanwhile, Marcus Morris was also docked $15,000 for criticizing officials after the Celtics' 116-92 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He was called for a technical foul in the third and was critical of the officiating after the game.In October, the brothers were acquitted by a Phoenix jury in an aggravated assault trial. They were on trial on charges that they helped three other people beat a man in January 2015 outside a high school basketball game. The twins played for the Phoenix Suns at the time.

LeBron James is keeping his thoughts to himself.Whatever concerns — or confidence — he might harbor about his Cleveland Cavaliers facing a 2-1 first-round Eastern Conference series hole heading into Game 4 at the Indiana Pacers on Sunday were not going to be made available for public consumption.James decided not to speak to reporters on Saturday.And he did not have a whole lot to say in the immediate aftermath of Game 3, either, when Indiana erased a 17-point deficit and then held on for a 92-90 victory over the Cavs.Not only has the four-time MVP and three-time NBA champ never lost an opening NBA postseason series, going 12-0 in the past, he had never even trailed in the first round until this one, when Cleveland dropped Game 1 at home.Now he is behind again."We've had some good quarters," James said Friday, "and we didn't have some good quarters."Well, that explains a lot.Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue's synopsis?"They won a game we should have won," Lue said. "That's what's disappointing.... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Portland coach Terry Stotts says Evan Turner is available to play but Maurice Harkless will miss Game 4 of the first-round playoff series with New Orleans.The Trail Blazers are trying to stave off elimination Saturday, trailing the Pelicans 3-0.Turner was sidelined for Game 3 on Thursday night because of a toe injury from Game 2. The 6-foot-7 forward started 40 games this season and averaged 8.2 points. He started the first two playoff games.Stotts says the 6-9 Harkless has a sore left knee, a problem that limited him late this the season. Stotts says there is no structural damage but considerable pain.Harkless started Game 3 in Turner's place and scored five points in 26 minutes.___More AP NBA: apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball