PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden picked up his $35.6 million contract option for next season with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the franchise exploring trades to move the veteran scorer, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Harden informed the 76ers of his choice Thursday ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline to pick up the option, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision was not made public.
The 33-year-old Harden could have declined the option and decided to try for free agency. The Sixers had the right to offer him a $210 million, four-year deal, $8 million more overall than any other team.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden picked up his $35.6 million contract option for next season with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the franchise exploring trades to move the veteran scorer, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Harden informed the 76ers of his choice Thursday ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline to pick up the option, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision was not made public.
The 33-year-old Harden could have declined the option and decided to try for free agency. The Sixers had the right to offer him a $210 million, four-year deal, $8 million more overall than any other team.
But the person who talked to the AP on anonymity Thursday said it while it wasn&rsquo;t definite Harden would be traded, the player nicknamed The Beard expressed a desire to win a championship &mdash; which he has yet to do in his career that dates to his 2009 rookie season &mdash; in Philadelphia or with another contender.
The 76ers, per league rules, could not talk contract with Harden&rsquo;s representatives before Friday and they were set to abide by the terms after they were found guilty of tampering last offseason and ultimately stripped of second-round draft picks.
The stage, though, seems set for yet another blockbuster Harden trade after he forced his way out of Houston and Brooklyn.
Nick Nurse, hired last month as Philadelphia&rsquo;s coach, has stumped for Harden&rsquo;s return.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said this month.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer and a perfect package fit in a Harden trade, said this week he wanted Harden back on the team.
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<div class="proper-ad-unit">&nbsp;</div>
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden picked up his $35.6 million contract option for next season with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the franchise exploring trades to move the veteran scorer, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Harden informed the 76ers of his choice Thursday ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline to pick up the option, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision was not made public.
The 33-year-old Harden could have declined the option and decided to try for free agency. The Sixers had the right to offer him a $210 million, four-year deal, $8 million more overall than any other team.
But the person who talked to the AP on anonymity Thursday said it while it wasn&rsquo;t definite Harden would be traded, the player nicknamed The Beard expressed a desire to win a championship &mdash; which he has yet to do in his career that dates to his 2009 rookie season &mdash; in Philadelphia or with another contender.
The 76ers, per league rules, could not talk contract with Harden&rsquo;s representatives before Friday and they were set to abide by the terms after they were found guilty of tampering last offseason and ultimately stripped of second-round draft picks.
The stage, though, seems set for yet another blockbuster Harden trade after he forced his way out of Houston and Brooklyn.
Nick Nurse, hired last month as Philadelphia&rsquo;s coach, has stumped for Harden&rsquo;s return.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said this month.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer and a perfect package fit in a Harden trade, said this week he wanted Harden back on the team.
<div class="SovrnAd Advertisement sovrn-story-feed proper-dynamic-insertion" data-module="">
<div class="proper-ad-unit">
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
But it appears playing as the second option behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid and chasing a championship in Philly is no longer seriously on the table.
Harden led the NBA in assists last season with 10.7 per game but it was his wildly fluctuating offense that frustrated Sixers fans and helped doom them in the Eastern Conference second-round loss to Boston.
Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories against the Celtics. Harden, who turns 34 in August, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and he went scoreless in the second half.
Harden blossomed into an insolation superstar in Houston but has largely deferred to Embiid with the Sixers.
Team president Daryl Morey, who traded to bring Harden to Houston a decade ago, needs to get a big return in any deal with the Sixers in win-now mode. The Sixers have limited salary cap space, making it all but impossible to sign a quality free agent, especially one with Harden&rsquo;s pedigree.
&nbsp;
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden picked up his $35.6 million contract option for next season with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the franchise exploring trades to move the veteran scorer, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Harden informed the 76ers of his choice Thursday ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline to pick up the option, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision was not made public.
The 33-year-old Harden could have declined the option and decided to try for free agency. The Sixers had the right to offer him a $210 million, four-year deal, $8 million more overall than any other team.
But the person who talked to the AP on anonymity Thursday said it while it wasn&rsquo;t definite Harden would be traded, the player nicknamed The Beard expressed a desire to win a championship &mdash; which he has yet to do in his career that dates to his 2009 rookie season &mdash; in Philadelphia or with another contender.
The 76ers, per league rules, could not talk contract with Harden&rsquo;s representatives before Friday and they were set to abide by the terms after they were found guilty of tampering last offseason and ultimately stripped of second-round draft picks.
The stage, though, seems set for yet another blockbuster Harden trade after he forced his way out of Houston and Brooklyn.
Nick Nurse, hired last month as Philadelphia&rsquo;s coach, has stumped for Harden&rsquo;s return.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said this month.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer and a perfect package fit in a Harden trade, said this week he wanted Harden back on the team.
<div class="SovrnAd Advertisement sovrn-story-feed proper-dynamic-insertion" data-module="">
<div class="proper-ad-unit">
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
But it appears playing as the second option behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid and chasing a championship in Philly is no longer seriously on the table.
Harden led the NBA in assists last season with 10.7 per game but it was his wildly fluctuating offense that frustrated Sixers fans and helped doom them in the Eastern Conference second-round loss to Boston.
Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories against the Celtics. Harden, who turns 34 in August, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and he went scoreless in the second half.
Harden blossomed into an insolation superstar in Houston but has largely deferred to Embiid with the Sixers.
Team president Daryl Morey, who traded to bring Harden to Houston a decade ago, needs to get a big return in any deal with the Sixers in win-now mode. The Sixers have limited salary cap space, making it all but impossible to sign a quality free agent, especially one with Harden&rsquo;s pedigree.
So now they&rsquo;ll look to get assets in a deal &mdash; a common factor in Harden&rsquo;s career. If Harden is traded, per NBA rules, he would have to play under his 2023-24 contract and would not be eligible for free agency until next season.
Harden is a 10-time All-Star but essentially forced his way with trades out of Houston and Brooklyn.
The Rockets traded Harden to the Nets in January 2021 where he was expected to form a championship trio with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. When the Big 3 fizzled, Harden was sent a year later to the Sixers for the disgruntled Simmons.
Harden declined his $47.4 million player option with the 76ers for last season and instead agreed to a two-year deal that will paid him $32 million in 2022-23. It included a player option for this coming season. He opted out of an old deal ahead of last season to stay with the 76ers and made about $14.5 million less last season than he could have earned under his previous contract.
The seven-time All-NBA player is a member of the league&rsquo;s 75th anniversary team.
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</div>

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden picked up his $35.6 million contract option for next season with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the franchise exploring trades to move the veteran scorer, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Harden informed the 76ers of his choice Thursday ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline to pick up the option, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision was not made public.
The 33-year-old Harden could have declined the option and decided to try for free agency. The Sixers had the right to offer him a $210 million, four-year deal, $8 million more overall than any other team.
But the person who talked to the AP on anonymity Thursday said it while it wasn&rsquo;t definite Harden would be traded, the player nicknamed The Beard expressed a desire to win a championship &mdash; which he has yet to do in his career that dates to his 2009 rookie season &mdash; in Philadelphia or with another contender.
The 76ers, per league rules, could not talk contract with Harden&rsquo;s representatives before Friday and they were set to abide by the terms after they were found guilty of tampering last offseason and ultimately stripped of second-round draft picks.
The stage, though, seems set for yet another blockbuster Harden trade after he forced his way out of Houston and Brooklyn.
&nbsp;
Nick Nurse, hired last month as Philadelphia&rsquo;s coach, has stumped for Harden&rsquo;s return.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said this month.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer and a perfect package fit in a Harden trade, said this week he wanted Harden back on the team.
<div class="SovrnAd Advertisement sovrn-story-feed proper-dynamic-insertion" data-module="">
<div class="proper-ad-unit">
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
But it appears playing as the second option behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid and chasing a championship in Philly is no longer seriously on the table.
Harden led the NBA in assists last season with 10.7 per game but it was his wildly fluctuating offense that frustrated Sixers fans and helped doom them in the Eastern Conference second-round loss to Boston.
Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories against the Celtics. Harden, who turns 34 in August, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and he went scoreless in the second half.
Harden blossomed into an insolation superstar in Houston but has largely deferred to Embiid with the Sixers.
Team president Daryl Morey, who traded to bring Harden to Houston a decade ago, needs to get a big return in any deal with the Sixers in win-now mode. The Sixers have limited salary cap space, making it all but impossible to sign a quality free agent, especially one with Harden&rsquo;s pedigree.
So now they&rsquo;ll look to get assets in a deal &mdash; a common factor in Harden&rsquo;s career. If Harden is traded, per NBA rules, he would have to play under his 2023-24 contract and would not be eligible for free agency until next season.
Harden is a 10-time All-Star but essentially forced his way with trades out of Houston and Brooklyn.
The Rockets traded Harden to the Nets in January 2021 where he was expected to form a championship trio with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. When the Big 3 fizzled, Harden was sent a year later to the Sixers for the disgruntled Simmons.
Harden declined his $47.4 million player option with the 76ers for last season and instead agreed to a two-year deal that will paid him $32 million in 2022-23. It included a player option for this coming season. He opted out of an old deal ahead of last season to stay with the 76ers and made about $14.5 million less last season than he could have earned under his previous contract.
The seven-time All-NBA player is a member of the league&rsquo;s 75th anniversary team.
</div>
</div>

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden picked up his $35.6 million contract option for next season with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the franchise exploring trades to move the veteran scorer, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Harden informed the 76ers of his choice Thursday ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline to pick up the option, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision was not made public.
The 33-year-old Harden could have declined the option and decided to try for free agency. The Sixers had the right to offer him a $210 million, four-year deal, $8 million more overall than any other team.
But the person who talked to the AP on anonymity Thursday said it while it wasn&rsquo;t definite Harden would be traded, the player nicknamed The Beard expressed a desire to win a championship &mdash; which he has yet to do in his career that dates to his 2009 rookie season &mdash; in Philadelphia or with another contender.
The 76ers, per league rules, could not talk contract with Harden&rsquo;s representatives before Friday and they were set to abide by the terms after they were found guilty of tampering last offseason and ultimately stripped of second-round draft picks.
The stage, though, seems set for yet another blockbuster Harden trade after he forced his way out of Houston and Brooklyn.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: 76ers G James Harden is picking up his $35.6 million option and sides are beginning to work together in exploring trade scenarios, sources tell ESPN. It&rsquo;s expected that Harden has played his last game for Philadelphia. <a href="https://t.co/GguWgysfNZ">pic.twitter.com/GguWgysfNZ</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1674519780106153985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Nick Nurse, hired last month as Philadelphia&rsquo;s coach, has stumped for Harden&rsquo;s return.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said this month.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer and a perfect package fit in a Harden trade, said this week he wanted Harden back on the team.
<div class="SovrnAd Advertisement sovrn-story-feed proper-dynamic-insertion" data-module="">
<div class="proper-ad-unit">
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
But it appears playing as the second option behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid and chasing a championship in Philly is no longer seriously on the table.
Harden led the NBA in assists last season with 10.7 per game but it was his wildly fluctuating offense that frustrated Sixers fans and helped doom them in the Eastern Conference second-round loss to Boston.
Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories against the Celtics. Harden, who turns 34 in August, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and he went scoreless in the second half.
Harden blossomed into an insolation superstar in Houston but has largely deferred to Embiid with the Sixers.
Team president Daryl Morey, who traded to bring Harden to Houston a decade ago, needs to get a big return in any deal with the Sixers in win-now mode. The Sixers have limited salary cap space, making it all but impossible to sign a quality free agent, especially one with Harden&rsquo;s pedigree.
So now they&rsquo;ll look to get assets in a deal &mdash; a common factor in Harden&rsquo;s career. If Harden is traded, per NBA rules, he would have to play under his 2023-24 contract and would not be eligible for free agency until next season.
Harden is a 10-time All-Star but essentially forced his way with trades out of Houston and Brooklyn.
The Rockets traded Harden to the Nets in January 2021 where he was expected to form a championship trio with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. When the Big 3 fizzled, Harden was sent a year later to the Sixers for the disgruntled Simmons.
Harden declined his $47.4 million player option with the 76ers for last season and instead agreed to a two-year deal that will paid him $32 million in 2022-23. It included a player option for this coming season. He opted out of an old deal ahead of last season to stay with the 76ers and made about $14.5 million less last season than he could have earned under his previous contract.
The seven-time All-NBA player is a member of the league&rsquo;s 75th anniversary team.
</div>
</div>

James Harden picked up his $35.6 million contract option for next season, but he's working with the Sixers to find a trade.

Sixers working with James Harden to find a trade after opt-in

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden might have&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/games/clippers/2015/11/09/20151107-james-harden-postgame-side-eye-exit.nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">side-eyed questions</a>&nbsp;this week -- much like he did in a playful reaction in his Houston days -- about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.
But the issue is real in Philly: Will Harden return to the 76ers for a third season?
All signs point to Harden declining his $35.6 million option on Thursday and entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the 2018 NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star free to sign with any team.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden might have&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/games/clippers/2015/11/09/20151107-james-harden-postgame-side-eye-exit.nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">side-eyed questions</a>&nbsp;this week -- much like he did in a playful reaction in his Houston days -- about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.
But the issue is real in Philly: Will Harden return to the 76ers for a third season?
All signs point to Harden declining his $35.6 million option on Thursday and entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the 2018 NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star free to sign with any team.
A return to the Rockets? Perhaps, if he prioritizes cash over a championship chase. The 76ers? Depends. Does Harden really enjoy playing as the second option to NBA MVP Joel Embiid?
Plan C?
Harden might not have planned much beyond a potential Houston reunion or Sixers return. Philadelphia has the home-contract edge: The 76ers have the right to offer Harden a&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-eliminated-2nd-round-exit-nba-playoffs-2023-embiid-20c6d51b346527af08d3886e64ad7875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$210 million, four-year deal</a>, $8 million more overall than any other team.
Houston, though, where Harden blossomed into a surefire Hall of Famer is a city that still tugs at his heart.
Nick Nurse, hired earlier this month to&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replace Doc Rivers</a>&nbsp;as coach of the 76ers, wants a shot at&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nick-nurse-2023-nba-282f466ed20036346af54a2658cf214a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coaching Harden</a>.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said when he was hired.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden might have&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/games/clippers/2015/11/09/20151107-james-harden-postgame-side-eye-exit.nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">side-eyed questions</a>&nbsp;this week -- much like he did in a playful reaction in his Houston days -- about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.
But the issue is real in Philly: Will Harden return to the 76ers for a third season?
All signs point to Harden declining his $35.6 million option on Thursday and entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the 2018 NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star free to sign with any team.
A return to the Rockets? Perhaps, if he prioritizes cash over a championship chase. The 76ers? Depends. Does Harden really enjoy playing as the second option to NBA MVP Joel Embiid?
Plan C?
Harden might not have planned much beyond a potential Houston reunion or Sixers return. Philadelphia has the home-contract edge: The 76ers have the right to offer Harden a&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-eliminated-2nd-round-exit-nba-playoffs-2023-embiid-20c6d51b346527af08d3886e64ad7875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$210 million, four-year deal</a>, $8 million more overall than any other team.
Houston, though, where Harden blossomed into a surefire Hall of Famer is a city that still tugs at his heart.
Nick Nurse, hired earlier this month to&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replace Doc Rivers</a>&nbsp;as coach of the 76ers, wants a shot at&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nick-nurse-2023-nba-282f466ed20036346af54a2658cf214a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coaching Harden</a>.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said when he was hired.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden might have&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/games/clippers/2015/11/09/20151107-james-harden-postgame-side-eye-exit.nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">side-eyed questions</a>&nbsp;this week -- much like he did in a playful reaction in his Houston days -- about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.
But the issue is real in Philly: Will Harden return to the 76ers for a third season?
All signs point to Harden declining his $35.6 million option on Thursday and entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the 2018 NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star free to sign with any team.
A return to the Rockets? Perhaps, if he prioritizes cash over a championship chase. The 76ers? Depends. Does Harden really enjoy playing as the second option to NBA MVP Joel Embiid?
Plan C?
Harden might not have planned much beyond a potential Houston reunion or Sixers return. Philadelphia has the home-contract edge: The 76ers have the right to offer Harden a&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-eliminated-2nd-round-exit-nba-playoffs-2023-embiid-20c6d51b346527af08d3886e64ad7875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$210 million, four-year deal</a>, $8 million more overall than any other team.
Houston, though, where Harden blossomed into a surefire Hall of Famer is a city that still tugs at his heart.
Nick Nurse, hired earlier this month to&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replace Doc Rivers</a>&nbsp;as coach of the 76ers, wants a shot at&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nick-nurse-2023-nba-282f466ed20036346af54a2658cf214a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coaching Harden</a>.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said when he was hired.
Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer, also stumped for a Harden return as he grabbed rebounds and posed for selfies with children Tuesday at a Fanatics promotion.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
Harden, who turns 34 in August, played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness and flashed only glimpses of his Houston prime. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories of the Eastern Conference semifinal loss against Boston, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and that included going scoreless in the second half.
Stuck in the muck of salary cap restrictions, the 76ers have few real options to replace Harden should he sign elsewhere. Not only that, the Sixers are fielding trade offers for Harris, who enters the final season of a $180-million, five-year contract. Harris averaged 14.7 points last season, well behind NBA scoring champ Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
Torrel Harris, Tobias Harris&rsquo; father and agent, blasted the way the 76ers have used Harris since 2018 and said on the &ldquo;Business of Sports&rdquo; podcast his son was an &ldquo;assassin scorer.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I mean, they can&rsquo;t stop him,&rdquo; Torrel Harris said on the podcast. &ldquo;Nobody in the league can stop him. So he&rsquo;s proven that over his career, even when he was with the Clippers.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden might have&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/games/clippers/2015/11/09/20151107-james-harden-postgame-side-eye-exit.nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">side-eyed questions</a>&nbsp;this week -- much like he did in a playful reaction in his Houston days -- about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.
But the issue is real in Philly: Will Harden return to the 76ers for a third season?
All signs point to Harden declining his $35.6 million option on Thursday and entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the 2018 NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star free to sign with any team.
A return to the Rockets? Perhaps, if he prioritizes cash over a championship chase. The 76ers? Depends. Does Harden really enjoy playing as the second option to NBA MVP Joel Embiid?
Plan C?
Harden might not have planned much beyond a potential Houston reunion or Sixers return. Philadelphia has the home-contract edge: The 76ers have the right to offer Harden a&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-eliminated-2nd-round-exit-nba-playoffs-2023-embiid-20c6d51b346527af08d3886e64ad7875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$210 million, four-year deal</a>, $8 million more overall than any other team.
Houston, though, where Harden blossomed into a surefire Hall of Famer is a city that still tugs at his heart.
Nick Nurse, hired earlier this month to&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replace Doc Rivers</a>&nbsp;as coach of the 76ers, wants a shot at&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nick-nurse-2023-nba-282f466ed20036346af54a2658cf214a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coaching Harden</a>.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said when he was hired.
Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer, also stumped for a Harden return as he grabbed rebounds and posed for selfies with children Tuesday at a Fanatics promotion.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
Harden, who turns 34 in August, played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness and flashed only glimpses of his Houston prime. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories of the Eastern Conference semifinal loss against Boston, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and that included going scoreless in the second half.
Stuck in the muck of salary cap restrictions, the 76ers have few real options to replace Harden should he sign elsewhere. Not only that, the Sixers are fielding trade offers for Harris, who enters the final season of a $180-million, five-year contract. Harris averaged 14.7 points last season, well behind NBA scoring champ Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
Torrel Harris, Tobias Harris&rsquo; father and agent, blasted the way the 76ers have used Harris since 2018 and said on the &ldquo;Business of Sports&rdquo; podcast his son was an &ldquo;assassin scorer.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I mean, they can&rsquo;t stop him,&rdquo; Torrel Harris said on the podcast. &ldquo;Nobody in the league can stop him. So he&rsquo;s proven that over his career, even when he was with the Clippers.&rdquo;
Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer, also stumped for a Harden return as he grabbed rebounds and posed for selfies with children Tuesday at a Fanatics promotion.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
Harden, who turns 34 in August, played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness and flashed only glimpses of his Houston prime. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories of the Eastern Conference semifinal loss against Boston, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and that included going scoreless in the second half.
Stuck in the muck of salary cap restrictions, the 76ers have few real options to replace Harden should he sign elsewhere. Not only that, the Sixers are fielding trade offers for Harris, who enters the final season of a $180-million, five-year contract. Harris averaged 14.7 points last season, well behind NBA scoring champ Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
Torrel Harris, Tobias Harris&rsquo; father and agent, blasted the way the 76ers have used Harris since 2018 and said on the &ldquo;Business of Sports&rdquo; podcast his son was an &ldquo;assassin scorer.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I mean, they can&rsquo;t stop him,&rdquo; Torrel Harris said on the podcast. &ldquo;Nobody in the league can stop him. So he&rsquo;s proven that over his career, even when he was with the Clippers.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden might have&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/games/clippers/2015/11/09/20151107-james-harden-postgame-side-eye-exit.nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">side-eyed questions</a>&nbsp;this week -- much like he did in a playful reaction in his Houston days -- about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.
But the issue is real in Philly: Will Harden return to the 76ers for a third season?
All signs point to Harden declining his $35.6 million option on Thursday and entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the 2018 NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star free to sign with any team.
A return to the Rockets? Perhaps, if he prioritizes cash over a championship chase. The 76ers? Depends. Does Harden really enjoy playing as the second option to NBA MVP Joel Embiid?
Plan C?
Harden might not have planned much beyond a potential Houston reunion or Sixers return. Philadelphia has the home-contract edge: The 76ers have the right to offer Harden a&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-eliminated-2nd-round-exit-nba-playoffs-2023-embiid-20c6d51b346527af08d3886e64ad7875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$210 million, four-year deal</a>, $8 million more overall than any other team.
Houston, though, where Harden blossomed into a surefire Hall of Famer is a city that still tugs at his heart.
Nick Nurse, hired earlier this month to&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replace Doc Rivers</a>&nbsp;as coach of the 76ers, wants a shot at&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nick-nurse-2023-nba-282f466ed20036346af54a2658cf214a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coaching Harden</a>.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said when he was hired.
Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer, also stumped for a Harden return as he grabbed rebounds and posed for selfies with children Tuesday at a Fanatics promotion.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
Harden, who turns 34 in August, played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness and flashed only glimpses of his Houston prime. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories of the Eastern Conference semifinal loss against Boston, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and that included going scoreless in the second half.
Stuck in the muck of salary cap restrictions, the 76ers have few real options to replace Harden should he sign elsewhere. Not only that, the Sixers are fielding trade offers for Harris, who enters the final season of a $180-million, five-year contract. Harris averaged 14.7 points last season, well behind NBA scoring champ Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
Torrel Harris, Tobias Harris&rsquo; father and agent, blasted the way the 76ers have used Harris since 2018 and said on the &ldquo;Business of Sports&rdquo; podcast his son was an &ldquo;assassin scorer.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I mean, they can&rsquo;t stop him,&rdquo; Torrel Harris said on the podcast. &ldquo;Nobody in the league can stop him. So he&rsquo;s proven that over his career, even when he was with the Clippers.&rdquo;
Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer, also stumped for a Harden return as he grabbed rebounds and posed for selfies with children Tuesday at a Fanatics promotion.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
Harden, who turns 34 in August, played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness and flashed only glimpses of his Houston prime. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories of the Eastern Conference semifinal loss against Boston, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and that included going scoreless in the second half.
Stuck in the muck of salary cap restrictions, the 76ers have few real options to replace Harden should he sign elsewhere. Not only that, the Sixers are fielding trade offers for Harris, who enters the final season of a $180-million, five-year contract. Harris averaged 14.7 points last season, well behind NBA scoring champ Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
Torrel Harris, Tobias Harris&rsquo; father and agent, blasted the way the 76ers have used Harris since 2018 and said on the &ldquo;Business of Sports&rdquo; podcast his son was an &ldquo;assassin scorer.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I mean, they can&rsquo;t stop him,&rdquo; Torrel Harris said on the podcast. &ldquo;Nobody in the league can stop him. So he&rsquo;s proven that over his career, even when he was with the Clippers.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s up to Nurse, who won a championship with Toronto in 2019, to find a formula that can win the 76ers a championship.
With or without Harden and Harris.
&ldquo;I believe we have the right talent to be a championship team,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;We have the right pieces and the right culture. With a new coach, I&rsquo;m excited with what we can bring to the table.&rdquo;
Harris and Embiid -- who declined to talk about the Fanatics&rsquo; goodwill merchandise promotion for underserved kids -- helped with the giveaway of 300,000 pieces of merch donated to around 100,000 kids and their families in nearly 100 different locations across the country.
Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, also co-founded the Reform Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to probation, parole and sentencing reform in the United State. He once had an ownership stake in the 76ers, is a friend with Harden and tried not to pick a side on the contract issue.
So, should a 76ers fan buy in good faith a Harden 76ers jersey?
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden might have&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/games/clippers/2015/11/09/20151107-james-harden-postgame-side-eye-exit.nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">side-eyed questions</a>&nbsp;this week -- much like he did in a playful reaction in his Houston days -- about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.
But the issue is real in Philly: Will Harden return to the 76ers for a third season?
All signs point to Harden declining his $35.6 million option on Thursday and entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the 2018 NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star free to sign with any team.
A return to the Rockets? Perhaps, if he prioritizes cash over a championship chase. The 76ers? Depends. Does Harden really enjoy playing as the second option to NBA MVP Joel Embiid?
Plan C?
Harden might not have planned much beyond a potential Houston reunion or Sixers return. Philadelphia has the home-contract edge: The 76ers have the right to offer Harden a&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-eliminated-2nd-round-exit-nba-playoffs-2023-embiid-20c6d51b346527af08d3886e64ad7875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$210 million, four-year deal</a>, $8 million more overall than any other team.
Houston, though, where Harden blossomed into a surefire Hall of Famer is a city that still tugs at his heart.
Nick Nurse, hired earlier this month to&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replace Doc Rivers</a>&nbsp;as coach of the 76ers, wants a shot at&nbsp;<a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nick-nurse-2023-nba-282f466ed20036346af54a2658cf214a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coaching Harden</a>.
&ldquo;James has a decision to make, and I&rsquo;d be very happy if he came back,&rdquo; Nurse said when he was hired.
Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer, also stumped for a Harden return as he grabbed rebounds and posed for selfies with children Tuesday at a Fanatics promotion.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
Harden, who turns 34 in August, played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness and flashed only glimpses of his Houston prime. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories of the Eastern Conference semifinal loss against Boston, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and that included going scoreless in the second half.
Stuck in the muck of salary cap restrictions, the 76ers have few real options to replace Harden should he sign elsewhere. Not only that, the Sixers are fielding trade offers for Harris, who enters the final season of a $180-million, five-year contract. Harris averaged 14.7 points last season, well behind NBA scoring champ Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
Torrel Harris, Tobias Harris&rsquo; father and agent, blasted the way the 76ers have used Harris since 2018 and said on the &ldquo;Business of Sports&rdquo; podcast his son was an &ldquo;assassin scorer.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I mean, they can&rsquo;t stop him,&rdquo; Torrel Harris said on the podcast. &ldquo;Nobody in the league can stop him. So he&rsquo;s proven that over his career, even when he was with the Clippers.&rdquo;
Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer, also stumped for a Harden return as he grabbed rebounds and posed for selfies with children Tuesday at a Fanatics promotion.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody&rsquo;s who&rsquo;s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.&rdquo;
Harden, who turns 34 in August, played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness and flashed only glimpses of his Houston prime. He scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories of the Eastern Conference semifinal loss against Boston, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and that included going scoreless in the second half.
Stuck in the muck of salary cap restrictions, the 76ers have few real options to replace Harden should he sign elsewhere. Not only that, the Sixers are fielding trade offers for Harris, who enters the final season of a $180-million, five-year contract. Harris averaged 14.7 points last season, well behind NBA scoring champ Embiid, Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
Torrel Harris, Tobias Harris&rsquo; father and agent, blasted the way the 76ers have used Harris since 2018 and said on the &ldquo;Business of Sports&rdquo; podcast his son was an &ldquo;assassin scorer.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I mean, they can&rsquo;t stop him,&rdquo; Torrel Harris said on the podcast. &ldquo;Nobody in the league can stop him. So he&rsquo;s proven that over his career, even when he was with the Clippers.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s up to Nurse, who won a championship with Toronto in 2019, to find a formula that can win the 76ers a championship.
With or without Harden and Harris.
&ldquo;I believe we have the right talent to be a championship team,&rdquo; Harris said. &ldquo;We have the right pieces and the right culture. With a new coach, I&rsquo;m excited with what we can bring to the table.&rdquo;
Harris and Embiid -- who declined to talk about the Fanatics&rsquo; goodwill merchandise promotion for underserved kids -- helped with the giveaway of 300,000 pieces of merch donated to around 100,000 kids and their families in nearly 100 different locations across the country.
Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, also co-founded the Reform Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to probation, parole and sentencing reform in the United State. He once had an ownership stake in the 76ers, is a friend with Harden and tried not to pick a side on the contract issue.
So, should a 76ers fan buy in good faith a Harden 76ers jersey?
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d always tell them to buy a 76ers Harden jersey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Look, I haven&rsquo;t been close to the situation. Both the Sixers and James are family to me. But listen, I believe in these guys.&rdquo;

The Philadelphia 76ers have some important decisions to make this offseason.

76ers face uncertain future with Harden, Harris deals up in the air

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid and the 76ers battled in yet another playoff game with the Raptors, this time in 2022, when the All-Star center barked at Toronto coach Nick Nurse &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcmeFUhbDSY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in a quite PG-13 fashion</a>&nbsp;&mdash; to stop whining about foul calls.
Embiid&rsquo;s beef with Nurse didn&rsquo;t end in the playoffs. After the two-time NBA scoring champion was held &mdash; held, in quotes &mdash; to 28 points in a 2022 regular-season game, Embiid charged the Raptors &ldquo;don&rsquo;t care about winning&rdquo; as long as a player of his stature was held below his scoring average.
Hey, what could go wrong this season? The 76ers didn&rsquo;t even play the Raptors in the playoffs.
Yet, when Brooklyn frustrated Embiid in a first-round series, the league MVP complained the Nets &ldquo;kind of took the Nick Nurse route of begging for free throws and calling out the referees.&rdquo;
OK, the introductions might be awkward. Or at least good for a laugh. But the 76ers are now counting on Embiid and Nurse to work together in a productive relationship as the new pair chases the franchise&rsquo;s first championship since 1983.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid and the 76ers battled in yet another playoff game with the Raptors, this time in 2022, when the All-Star center barked at Toronto coach Nick Nurse &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcmeFUhbDSY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in a quite PG-13 fashion</a>&nbsp;&mdash; to stop whining about foul calls.
Embiid&rsquo;s beef with Nurse didn&rsquo;t end in the playoffs. After the two-time NBA scoring champion was held &mdash; held, in quotes &mdash; to 28 points in a 2022 regular-season game, Embiid charged the Raptors &ldquo;don&rsquo;t care about winning&rdquo; as long as a player of his stature was held below his scoring average.
Hey, what could go wrong this season? The 76ers didn&rsquo;t even play the Raptors in the playoffs.
Yet, when Brooklyn frustrated Embiid in a first-round series, the league MVP complained the Nets &ldquo;kind of took the Nick Nurse route of begging for free throws and calling out the referees.&rdquo;
OK, the introductions might be awkward. Or at least good for a laugh. But the 76ers are now counting on Embiid and Nurse to work together in a productive relationship as the new pair chases the franchise&rsquo;s first championship since 1983.
With the fate of 10-time All-Star James Harden in the balance, the 76ers remained all-in with their championship pursuit on Monday, selecting Nurse as their new coach to try and end more than two decades of playoff failure.
The 76ers hired the 55-year-old Nurse following his&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nick-nurse-fired-c2b7dc404915ee3ae12fe1a52e589830">exit last month from Toronto Raptors,</a>&nbsp;a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move.
Nurse led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship after they beat Embiid and the 76ers in Game 7 of the the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 76ers not only haven&rsquo;t a title in 40 years, they haven&rsquo;t advanced past the second round since 2001.
Nurse will replace&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55">Doc Rivers, who was fired</a>&nbsp;after he led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">NBA MVP Embiid</a>&nbsp;but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid and the 76ers battled in yet another playoff game with the Raptors, this time in 2022, when the All-Star center barked at Toronto coach Nick Nurse &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcmeFUhbDSY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in a quite PG-13 fashion</a>&nbsp;&mdash; to stop whining about foul calls.
Embiid&rsquo;s beef with Nurse didn&rsquo;t end in the playoffs. After the two-time NBA scoring champion was held &mdash; held, in quotes &mdash; to 28 points in a 2022 regular-season game, Embiid charged the Raptors &ldquo;don&rsquo;t care about winning&rdquo; as long as a player of his stature was held below his scoring average.
Hey, what could go wrong this season? The 76ers didn&rsquo;t even play the Raptors in the playoffs.
Yet, when Brooklyn frustrated Embiid in a first-round series, the league MVP complained the Nets &ldquo;kind of took the Nick Nurse route of begging for free throws and calling out the referees.&rdquo;
OK, the introductions might be awkward. Or at least good for a laugh. But the 76ers are now counting on Embiid and Nurse to work together in a productive relationship as the new pair chases the franchise&rsquo;s first championship since 1983.
With the fate of 10-time All-Star James Harden in the balance, the 76ers remained all-in with their championship pursuit on Monday, selecting Nurse as their new coach to try and end more than two decades of playoff failure.
The 76ers hired the 55-year-old Nurse following his&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nick-nurse-fired-c2b7dc404915ee3ae12fe1a52e589830">exit last month from Toronto Raptors,</a>&nbsp;a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move.
Nurse led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship after they beat Embiid and the 76ers in Game 7 of the the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 76ers not only haven&rsquo;t a title in 40 years, they haven&rsquo;t advanced past the second round since 2001.
Nurse will replace&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55">Doc Rivers, who was fired</a>&nbsp;after he led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">NBA MVP Embiid</a>&nbsp;but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals.
The 76ers held a 3-2 semifinals series lead against Boston before dropping Game 6 at home and were crushed in Game 7 on the road.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid and the 76ers battled in yet another playoff game with the Raptors, this time in 2022, when the All-Star center barked at Toronto coach Nick Nurse &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcmeFUhbDSY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in a quite PG-13 fashion</a>&nbsp;&mdash; to stop whining about foul calls.
Embiid&rsquo;s beef with Nurse didn&rsquo;t end in the playoffs. After the two-time NBA scoring champion was held &mdash; held, in quotes &mdash; to 28 points in a 2022 regular-season game, Embiid charged the Raptors &ldquo;don&rsquo;t care about winning&rdquo; as long as a player of his stature was held below his scoring average.
Hey, what could go wrong this season? The 76ers didn&rsquo;t even play the Raptors in the playoffs.
Yet, when Brooklyn frustrated Embiid in a first-round series, the league MVP complained the Nets &ldquo;kind of took the Nick Nurse route of begging for free throws and calling out the referees.&rdquo;
OK, the introductions might be awkward. Or at least good for a laugh. But the 76ers are now counting on Embiid and Nurse to work together in a productive relationship as the new pair chases the franchise&rsquo;s first championship since 1983.
With the fate of 10-time All-Star James Harden in the balance, the 76ers remained all-in with their championship pursuit on Monday, selecting Nurse as their new coach to try and end more than two decades of playoff failure.
The 76ers hired the 55-year-old Nurse following his&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nick-nurse-fired-c2b7dc404915ee3ae12fe1a52e589830">exit last month from Toronto Raptors,</a>&nbsp;a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move.
Nurse led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship after they beat Embiid and the 76ers in Game 7 of the the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 76ers not only haven&rsquo;t a title in 40 years, they haven&rsquo;t advanced past the second round since 2001.
Nurse will replace&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55">Doc Rivers, who was fired</a>&nbsp;after he led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">NBA MVP Embiid</a>&nbsp;but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals.
The 76ers held a 3-2 semifinals series lead against Boston before dropping Game 6 at home and were crushed in Game 7 on the road.
The 76ers still have to decide if they will try to bring back Harden &mdash; who is expected to decline the $35.6 million option on his contract and become a free agent &mdash; but making a move for a championship-winning coach like Nurse shows the franchise is still all in as it goes in for a championship with Embiid still in his prime.
Nurse went 227-163 in his five seasons as coach in Toronto, where his .582 winning percentage ranks as the best of any coach in Raptors history. He also spent five years as an assistant to former Raptors coach Dwane Casey before taking over the top job.
Nurse seemingly made his first play for the 76ers&rsquo; job in March when the Raptors were in town for a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nurse-3e49f4c04182360739105a582e988b91">regular-season visit</a>. Nurse said his relationship with president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster was at a crossroads and time would be needed to decide on his future.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid and the 76ers battled in yet another playoff game with the Raptors, this time in 2022, when the All-Star center barked at Toronto coach Nick Nurse &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcmeFUhbDSY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in a quite PG-13 fashion</a>&nbsp;&mdash; to stop whining about foul calls.
Embiid&rsquo;s beef with Nurse didn&rsquo;t end in the playoffs. After the two-time NBA scoring champion was held &mdash; held, in quotes &mdash; to 28 points in a 2022 regular-season game, Embiid charged the Raptors &ldquo;don&rsquo;t care about winning&rdquo; as long as a player of his stature was held below his scoring average.
Hey, what could go wrong this season? The 76ers didn&rsquo;t even play the Raptors in the playoffs.
Yet, when Brooklyn frustrated Embiid in a first-round series, the league MVP complained the Nets &ldquo;kind of took the Nick Nurse route of begging for free throws and calling out the referees.&rdquo;
OK, the introductions might be awkward. Or at least good for a laugh. But the 76ers are now counting on Embiid and Nurse to work together in a productive relationship as the new pair chases the franchise&rsquo;s first championship since 1983.
With the fate of 10-time All-Star James Harden in the balance, the 76ers remained all-in with their championship pursuit on Monday, selecting Nurse as their new coach to try and end more than two decades of playoff failure.
The 76ers hired the 55-year-old Nurse following his&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nick-nurse-fired-c2b7dc404915ee3ae12fe1a52e589830">exit last month from Toronto Raptors,</a>&nbsp;a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move.
Nurse led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship after they beat Embiid and the 76ers in Game 7 of the the Eastern Conference semifinals. The 76ers not only haven&rsquo;t a title in 40 years, they haven&rsquo;t advanced past the second round since 2001.
Nurse will replace&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-nba-doc-rivers-fired-09368e77a8f741576222c975c3affe55">Doc Rivers, who was fired</a>&nbsp;after he led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">NBA MVP Embiid</a>&nbsp;but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals.
The 76ers held a 3-2 semifinals series lead against Boston before dropping Game 6 at home and were crushed in Game 7 on the road.
The 76ers still have to decide if they will try to bring back Harden &mdash; who is expected to decline the $35.6 million option on his contract and become a free agent &mdash; but making a move for a championship-winning coach like Nurse shows the franchise is still all in as it goes in for a championship with Embiid still in his prime.
Nurse went 227-163 in his five seasons as coach in Toronto, where his .582 winning percentage ranks as the best of any coach in Raptors history. He also spent five years as an assistant to former Raptors coach Dwane Casey before taking over the top job.
Nurse seemingly made his first play for the 76ers&rsquo; job in March when the Raptors were in town for a&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nurse-3e49f4c04182360739105a582e988b91">regular-season visit</a>. Nurse said his relationship with president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster was at a crossroads and time would be needed to decide on his future.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been 10 years for me now, which is a pretty good run,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know, over those 10 years, we&rsquo;ve got to be up there with number of wins for anybody in the league. I don&rsquo;t know what it is, but we&rsquo;ve had a lot of good seasons.&rdquo;
Nurse was right: Only Golden State (.661) had a better winning percentage than Toronto (.613) in that span.
Nurse played at Northern Iowa, then started his coaching career there as an assistant. He wound up becoming a head coach at Grand View University when he was just 23. He coached in Belgium and Britain &mdash; winning a pair of British Basketball League titles as a coach in Birmingham in 1996 and London in 2000 &mdash; then got a couple of titles in what is now called the G League.
The second G League crown with Houston&rsquo;s team got Nurse noticed, with the Raptors calling because they wanted to talk to him about offense. They ended up hiring him as an assistant, and he&rsquo;d been with Toronto ever since.
The Raptors finished 41-41 this season before losing at home to the Chicago Bulls in the play-in round of the postseason.
Sixers president Daryl Morey continues to build the team around his old Houston Rockets connections. Besides Harden &mdash; and PJ Tucker and Danuel House, among others &mdash; Nurse coached Houston&rsquo;s G League-affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers for two seasons while Morey was in charge. Nurse won the G-League title in 2013 before moving on to a successful NBA career.
Nurse led the Raptors to the title in his debut season. And despite Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s departure, the Raptors were playing well before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season in March 2020. Toronto wasn&rsquo;t the same in the bubble and lost to Boston in seven games in the second round of the playoffs, though Nurse did win the NBA Coach of the Year.

The Philadelphia 76ers are hiring Nick Nurse as their next head coach.

76ers hire former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Doc Rivers&rsquo; penchant for playoff collapses and second-round exits cost him his coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs, and the second time over that span he lost a series lead and a Game 7.
Rivers led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">NBA MVP Joel Embiid</a>&nbsp;but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The Sixers have not won an NBA championship since 1983.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise,&rdquo; team president Daryl Morey said in a statement. &ldquo;After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.&rdquo;
Morey was scheduled to address the decision at a news conference Wednesday.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Doc Rivers&rsquo; penchant for playoff collapses and second-round exits cost him his coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs, and the second time over that span he lost a series lead and a Game 7.
Rivers led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">NBA MVP Joel Embiid</a>&nbsp;but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The Sixers have not won an NBA championship since 1983.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise,&rdquo; team president Daryl Morey said in a statement. &ldquo;After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.&rdquo;
Morey was scheduled to address the decision at a news conference Wednesday.
The 76ers held a 3-2 semifinals series lead against Boston before dropping&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-tatum-celtics-76ers-6d07f92230be04e2dc47fedc517e3254">Game 6 at home</a>&nbsp;and were crushed in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/celtics-76ers-tatum-nba-playoffs-record-game-7-767dffb9877cfc54d55c9f58c8fa8866">Game 7 on the road</a>.
Rivers fell to 6-10 in Game 7s. The 10 defeats are five more than any other NBA coach.
Rivers and the 76ers also&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ga-state-wire-philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-los-angeles-clippers-ee1e636c2c3bfa3257fb1975c5b452ac">lost a decisive Game 7 at home in the second round to Atlanta in 2021</a>&nbsp;as a No. 1 seed. Embiid endorsed Rivers&rsquo; return following Sunday&rsquo;s loss but James Harden was noncommittal about wanting their coach back.
Rivers had two years left on his contract and was 154-82 in three years with the Sixers. He won the 2008 NBA title as coach of the Boston Celtics.
Asked after the 112-88 thumping in Boston if he expected to be back next year, Rivers said: &ldquo;Yeah. I think I got two years left. No one is safe in our business and I get that.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s just the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-coaches-fired-531bf2961904eb9ce1b9f02eff466506">latest big name coach fired already</a>&nbsp;during the postseason and the 76ers are sure to have their pick among the best in the game.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nick-nurse-fired-c2b7dc404915ee3ae12fe1a52e589830">Nick Nurse</a>&nbsp;(Toronto) and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-budenholzer-fired-e9ab56f83d317afd621adb7d7c244006">Mike Budenholzer</a>&nbsp;(Milwaukee) have been fired after both won championships since 2019 and former Sixers assistant&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-monty-williams-fired-53f33c2c3c8d69af7449cbfbf931bc0a">Monty Williams</a>&nbsp;(who coached Phoenix in the 2021 NBA Finals) also is available.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Doc Rivers&rsquo; penchant for playoff collapses and second-round exits cost him his coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs, and the second time over that span he lost a series lead and a Game 7.
Rivers led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">NBA MVP Joel Embiid</a>&nbsp;but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The Sixers have not won an NBA championship since 1983.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise,&rdquo; team president Daryl Morey said in a statement. &ldquo;After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.&rdquo;
Morey was scheduled to address the decision at a news conference Wednesday.
The 76ers held a 3-2 semifinals series lead against Boston before dropping&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-tatum-celtics-76ers-6d07f92230be04e2dc47fedc517e3254">Game 6 at home</a>&nbsp;and were crushed in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/celtics-76ers-tatum-nba-playoffs-record-game-7-767dffb9877cfc54d55c9f58c8fa8866">Game 7 on the road</a>.
Rivers fell to 6-10 in Game 7s. The 10 defeats are five more than any other NBA coach.
Rivers and the 76ers also&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ga-state-wire-philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-los-angeles-clippers-ee1e636c2c3bfa3257fb1975c5b452ac">lost a decisive Game 7 at home in the second round to Atlanta in 2021</a>&nbsp;as a No. 1 seed. Embiid endorsed Rivers&rsquo; return following Sunday&rsquo;s loss but James Harden was noncommittal about wanting their coach back.
Rivers had two years left on his contract and was 154-82 in three years with the Sixers. He won the 2008 NBA title as coach of the Boston Celtics.
Asked after the 112-88 thumping in Boston if he expected to be back next year, Rivers said: &ldquo;Yeah. I think I got two years left. No one is safe in our business and I get that.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s just the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-coaches-fired-531bf2961904eb9ce1b9f02eff466506">latest big name coach fired already</a>&nbsp;during the postseason and the 76ers are sure to have their pick among the best in the game.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nick-nurse-fired-c2b7dc404915ee3ae12fe1a52e589830">Nick Nurse</a>&nbsp;(Toronto) and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-budenholzer-fired-e9ab56f83d317afd621adb7d7c244006">Mike Budenholzer</a>&nbsp;(Milwaukee) have been fired after both won championships since 2019 and former Sixers assistant&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-monty-williams-fired-53f33c2c3c8d69af7449cbfbf931bc0a">Monty Williams</a>&nbsp;(who coached Phoenix in the 2021 NBA Finals) also is available.
Rivers took over ahead of the 2020-21 season for Brett Brown, who was fired after the 76ers were swept in the first round of the playoffs.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Doc Rivers&rsquo; penchant for playoff collapses and second-round exits cost him his coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs, and the second time over that span he lost a series lead and a Game 7.
Rivers led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mvp-joel-embiid-76ers-jokic-giannis-a216b687de694125309fb9eed1ad5031">NBA MVP Joel Embiid</a>&nbsp;but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The Sixers have not won an NBA championship since 1983.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise,&rdquo; team president Daryl Morey said in a statement. &ldquo;After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.&rdquo;
Morey was scheduled to address the decision at a news conference Wednesday.
The 76ers held a 3-2 semifinals series lead against Boston before dropping&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-tatum-celtics-76ers-6d07f92230be04e2dc47fedc517e3254">Game 6 at home</a>&nbsp;and were crushed in&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/celtics-76ers-tatum-nba-playoffs-record-game-7-767dffb9877cfc54d55c9f58c8fa8866">Game 7 on the road</a>.
Rivers fell to 6-10 in Game 7s. The 10 defeats are five more than any other NBA coach.
Rivers and the 76ers also&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/pa-state-wire-ga-state-wire-philadelphia-76ers-atlanta-hawks-los-angeles-clippers-ee1e636c2c3bfa3257fb1975c5b452ac">lost a decisive Game 7 at home in the second round to Atlanta in 2021</a>&nbsp;as a No. 1 seed. Embiid endorsed Rivers&rsquo; return following Sunday&rsquo;s loss but James Harden was noncommittal about wanting their coach back.
Rivers had two years left on his contract and was 154-82 in three years with the Sixers. He won the 2008 NBA title as coach of the Boston Celtics.
Asked after the 112-88 thumping in Boston if he expected to be back next year, Rivers said: &ldquo;Yeah. I think I got two years left. No one is safe in our business and I get that.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s just the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-coaches-fired-531bf2961904eb9ce1b9f02eff466506">latest big name coach fired already</a>&nbsp;during the postseason and the 76ers are sure to have their pick among the best in the game.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/raptors-nick-nurse-fired-c2b7dc404915ee3ae12fe1a52e589830">Nick Nurse</a>&nbsp;(Toronto) and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-budenholzer-fired-e9ab56f83d317afd621adb7d7c244006">Mike Budenholzer</a>&nbsp;(Milwaukee) have been fired after both won championships since 2019 and former Sixers assistant&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/suns-monty-williams-fired-53f33c2c3c8d69af7449cbfbf931bc0a">Monty Williams</a>&nbsp;(who coached Phoenix in the 2021 NBA Finals) also is available.
Rivers took over ahead of the 2020-21 season for Brett Brown, who was fired after the 76ers were swept in the first round of the playoffs.
Rivers himself had just been fired about two weeks after the Los Angeles Clippers wasted a 3-1 series lead and lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals.
He expected to coach a team seemingly on the brink of winning a title. Instead, he was on the bench for one of the worst losses in team history, a franchise-shifting loss to Atlanta in Game 7 that came on the heels of&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BHRLuyXJu8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ben Simmons failing to dunk an uncontested shot</a>, which spiraled into a loss and the end of the All-Star guard&rsquo;s tenure in Philly. Simmons never played for the 76ers again after Rivers and Embiid failed to publicly back the star guard following the loss, and the relationship soured from there.
Simmons was traded a year later for Harden, who was expected to serve as the missing piece that could get Embiid a championship. Or least into the conference final.
Asked after the Game 7 loss in Boston to describe his relationship with Rivers and if he&rsquo;d like his coach to return for a fourth season, Harden said &ldquo;our relationship is OK&rdquo; and didn&rsquo;t answer the second part of the question.
Now, it doesn&rsquo;t matter.
&ldquo;I thought we had the right group. I really did,&rdquo; Rivers said.
But one other intriguing potential candidate to keep an eye on is former Rockets coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni. D&rsquo;Antoni coached Harden for four seasons in Houston and they both thrived there working under Morey. Morey has been a staunch Harden defender and worked hard to bring him to the 76ers. With Rivers gone, another reunion could be on the horizon.
Harden, who played the last few months with nagging left Achilles soreness, has a player option of $35.6 million. He was vague on what he might do this summer. But perhaps a reunion with D&rsquo;Antoni &mdash; or, at the very least a coach who knows how to pair Harden-Embiid to their strengths &mdash; can entice The Beard to stay. The 76ers are eligible to sign Harden to a $210 million, four-year deal while other teams can&rsquo;t offer more than $202 million over the same contract length.
Rivers also coached the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Clippers and is 1,097-763 over a career that dates to the 1999-2000 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers fired Doc Rivers following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs.

76ers fire coach Doc Rivers after 3 second-round exits in playoffs

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.
The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home.
Game 7 is Sunday.
Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shooting even as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason the Celtics couldn&rsquo;t hold a 16-point lead.
With a shot at their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVP form and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.
The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home.
Game 7 is Sunday.
Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shooting even as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason the Celtics couldn&rsquo;t hold a 16-point lead.
With a shot at their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVP form and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.
Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.
And that was it for Philly.
Tatum buried one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in firm control of Game 6.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.
76ers coach Doc Rivers has blown three 3-1 series leads over his playoff career. While the 76ers never got that far ahead, this is their second loss at home in the series and they seemingly had seized momentum in the fourth quarter.
Tatum instead stuck it to the 76ers with one final 3-point dagger for a 95-84 lead.
After Embiid&rsquo;s pull-up jumper tied the game 81-all, 76ers didn&rsquo;t make a bucket over the final 6:13 of the game
Tatum missed all 10 shots, including five 3-point attempts, in the first half half as the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has said he may need surgery on his left wrist in the offseason in the wake of a hard fall. Whatever the cause of his shooting ails, he found the cure in the final 12 minutes and the East champs still have life.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.
The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home.
Game 7 is Sunday.
Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shooting even as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason the Celtics couldn&rsquo;t hold a 16-point lead.
With a shot at their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVP form and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.
Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.
And that was it for Philly.
Tatum buried one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in firm control of Game 6.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.
76ers coach Doc Rivers has blown three 3-1 series leads over his playoff career. While the 76ers never got that far ahead, this is their second loss at home in the series and they seemingly had seized momentum in the fourth quarter.
Tatum instead stuck it to the 76ers with one final 3-point dagger for a 95-84 lead.
After Embiid&rsquo;s pull-up jumper tied the game 81-all, 76ers didn&rsquo;t make a bucket over the final 6:13 of the game
Tatum missed all 10 shots, including five 3-point attempts, in the first half half as the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has said he may need surgery on his left wrist in the offseason in the wake of a hard fall. Whatever the cause of his shooting ails, he found the cure in the final 12 minutes and the East champs still have life.
Tatum finished with 19 points on just 5-for-21 shooting but the final stat line mattered little after he keyed the 14-3 run that kept the Celtics&rsquo; conference repeat hopes alive under rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Just like Game 3 when the Sixers squandered the momentum off Embiid&rsquo;s MVP ceremony, the 76ers again failed to keep a packed house as rocking as they were at tipoff. The Celtics took a fast 15-3 lead and that silenced the crowd and discombobulated the Sixers.
The Celtics led 40-26 because -- in part because of three 3s from Malcolm Brogdon -- but an ineffective half from Embiid, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Embiid and Harris started 1 of 7 and Harden 2 of 8 and yet, the deficit could have been much worse.
The Sixers steadied themselves somewhat -- creaky Harden surprised everyone with a rare, thunderous dunk -- and the Sixers had life down only 50-43 at the break.
HE SAID IT
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum missed his first six 3-pointers before he drilled two straight clutch ones late in the game that pushed the Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.
The defending conference champs are in familiar territory. Boston trailed 3-2 last season in the second round against Milwaukee before it won Game 6 on the road and the clincher at home.
Game 7 is Sunday.
Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points in the regular season, never stopped shooting even as the misses kept coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor and his ineffectiveness was a key reason the Celtics couldn&rsquo;t hold a 16-point lead.
With a shot at their first conference final since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged through the first half before Joel Embiid flashed his MVP form and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.
Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.
And that was it for Philly.
Tatum buried one 3 for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in firm control of Game 6.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 26 points for the 76ers.
76ers coach Doc Rivers has blown three 3-1 series leads over his playoff career. While the 76ers never got that far ahead, this is their second loss at home in the series and they seemingly had seized momentum in the fourth quarter.
Tatum instead stuck it to the 76ers with one final 3-point dagger for a 95-84 lead.
After Embiid&rsquo;s pull-up jumper tied the game 81-all, 76ers didn&rsquo;t make a bucket over the final 6:13 of the game
Tatum missed all 10 shots, including five 3-point attempts, in the first half half as the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has said he may need surgery on his left wrist in the offseason in the wake of a hard fall. Whatever the cause of his shooting ails, he found the cure in the final 12 minutes and the East champs still have life.
Tatum finished with 19 points on just 5-for-21 shooting but the final stat line mattered little after he keyed the 14-3 run that kept the Celtics&rsquo; conference repeat hopes alive under rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Just like Game 3 when the Sixers squandered the momentum off Embiid&rsquo;s MVP ceremony, the 76ers again failed to keep a packed house as rocking as they were at tipoff. The Celtics took a fast 15-3 lead and that silenced the crowd and discombobulated the Sixers.
The Celtics led 40-26 because -- in part because of three 3s from Malcolm Brogdon -- but an ineffective half from Embiid, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Embiid and Harris started 1 of 7 and Harden 2 of 8 and yet, the deficit could have been much worse.
The Sixers steadied themselves somewhat -- creaky Harden surprised everyone with a rare, thunderous dunk -- and the Sixers had life down only 50-43 at the break.
HE SAID IT
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m ready for war.&rdquo; -- Mazzulla, with a stern look, on his mood ahead of Game 6.
BIG FANS
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, Roots drummer Questlove, Eagles center Jason Kelce and his brother and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. attended the game.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Boston started 6-foot-10 Robert Williams instead of Derrick White. Williams started his first postseason game of the season. Mazzulla said he made the change because &ldquo;Rob gives us a lift.&rdquo;
76ers: Harden finished 4 for 16, 0 for 6 behind the arc.

The Celtics defeated the 76ers 95-86 on Thursday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7.

Tatum’s 4th quarter pushes Celtics past 76ers 95-86, forces Game 7

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in overtime and scored 42 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers stave off a wild Boston Celtics comeback in a 116-115 victory on Sunday that evened their playoff series at 2-2.
Marcus Smart&rsquo;s potential winner was a tick too late and the Celtics now head home for Tuesday&rsquo;s Game 5. The 76ers are guaranteed to return home for Game 6 on Thursday.
Smart and Jayson Tatum keyed a Celtics rally from 15 points down with 2 minutes left in the third quarter in hopes of seizing control of the series.
The Sixers were on the brink of defeat numerous times over the final 17 minutes, none more than when Joel Embiid crashed into Smart on a driving, one-handed bank shot with 1:49 left but was whistled for an offensive foul. The play was reviewed and the call stood. Boston kept its 112-111 lead with 1:49 left in OT.
Embiid, the NBA MVP, kept his composure and eventually got to the line to sink two free throws with 59 seconds left and the season in the balance.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in overtime and scored 42 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers stave off a wild Boston Celtics comeback in a 116-115 victory on Sunday that evened their playoff series at 2-2.
Marcus Smart&rsquo;s potential winner was a tick too late and the Celtics now head home for Tuesday&rsquo;s Game 5. The 76ers are guaranteed to return home for Game 6 on Thursday.
Smart and Jayson Tatum keyed a Celtics rally from 15 points down with 2 minutes left in the third quarter in hopes of seizing control of the series.
The Sixers were on the brink of defeat numerous times over the final 17 minutes, none more than when Joel Embiid crashed into Smart on a driving, one-handed bank shot with 1:49 left but was whistled for an offensive foul. The play was reviewed and the call stood. Boston kept its 112-111 lead with 1:49 left in OT.
Embiid, the NBA MVP, kept his composure and eventually got to the line to sink two free throws with 59 seconds left and the season in the balance.
Embiid had 34 points and 13 rebounds. Harden added nine assists and eight rebounds.
Tatum struggled to score early but finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Smart had 21.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in overtime and scored 42 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers stave off a wild Boston Celtics comeback in a 116-115 victory on Sunday that evened their playoff series at 2-2.
Marcus Smart&rsquo;s potential winner was a tick too late and the Celtics now head home for Tuesday&rsquo;s Game 5. The 76ers are guaranteed to return home for Game 6 on Thursday.
Smart and Jayson Tatum keyed a Celtics rally from 15 points down with 2 minutes left in the third quarter in hopes of seizing control of the series.
The Sixers were on the brink of defeat numerous times over the final 17 minutes, none more than when Joel Embiid crashed into Smart on a driving, one-handed bank shot with 1:49 left but was whistled for an offensive foul. The play was reviewed and the call stood. Boston kept its 112-111 lead with 1:49 left in OT.
Embiid, the NBA MVP, kept his composure and eventually got to the line to sink two free throws with 59 seconds left and the season in the balance.
Embiid had 34 points and 13 rebounds. Harden added nine assists and eight rebounds.
Tatum struggled to score early but finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Smart had 21.
They went to overtime tied 107-all after Smart was short on a 3 at the horn on one of the few clutch shots Boston missed in the fourth quarter.
Boston&rsquo;s fun began in the period when Smart and Brown buried consecutive 3-pointers and Tatum attacked the rim for a bucket that wiped out an eight-point hole in 90 seconds. Al Horford put them ahead 98-90 &mdash; on a possession that started on the other end when Tyrese Maxey had his shot blocked &mdash; and shimmied for the crowd as boos rained on him.
Yes, the 76ers had home court but fans tensed up as memories all those second-round exits since 2001 stirred inside the building. Smart and Malcolm Brogdon hit consecutive 3s for a 105-100 lead.
But it was P.J. Tucker, the heart and guts of the Sixers, who again did the dirty work on a defensive rebound a bucket. He made the free throw with 1:05 left and the tie game gave them new life.
Good Game James showed up in Game 4 for the 76ers and Embiid played more like the MVP he was in the regular season than the banged-up edition with a sprained right knee of the last two games.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in overtime and scored 42 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers stave off a wild Boston Celtics comeback in a 116-115 victory on Sunday that evened their playoff series at 2-2.
Marcus Smart&rsquo;s potential winner was a tick too late and the Celtics now head home for Tuesday&rsquo;s Game 5. The 76ers are guaranteed to return home for Game 6 on Thursday.
Smart and Jayson Tatum keyed a Celtics rally from 15 points down with 2 minutes left in the third quarter in hopes of seizing control of the series.
The Sixers were on the brink of defeat numerous times over the final 17 minutes, none more than when Joel Embiid crashed into Smart on a driving, one-handed bank shot with 1:49 left but was whistled for an offensive foul. The play was reviewed and the call stood. Boston kept its 112-111 lead with 1:49 left in OT.
Embiid, the NBA MVP, kept his composure and eventually got to the line to sink two free throws with 59 seconds left and the season in the balance.
Embiid had 34 points and 13 rebounds. Harden added nine assists and eight rebounds.
Tatum struggled to score early but finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Smart had 21.
They went to overtime tied 107-all after Smart was short on a 3 at the horn on one of the few clutch shots Boston missed in the fourth quarter.
Boston&rsquo;s fun began in the period when Smart and Brown buried consecutive 3-pointers and Tatum attacked the rim for a bucket that wiped out an eight-point hole in 90 seconds. Al Horford put them ahead 98-90 &mdash; on a possession that started on the other end when Tyrese Maxey had his shot blocked &mdash; and shimmied for the crowd as boos rained on him.
Yes, the 76ers had home court but fans tensed up as memories all those second-round exits since 2001 stirred inside the building. Smart and Malcolm Brogdon hit consecutive 3s for a 105-100 lead.
But it was P.J. Tucker, the heart and guts of the Sixers, who again did the dirty work on a defensive rebound a bucket. He made the free throw with 1:05 left and the tie game gave them new life.
Good Game James showed up in Game 4 for the 76ers and Embiid played more like the MVP he was in the regular season than the banged-up edition with a sprained right knee of the last two games.
Harden played in Game 1 like he was still the MVP in Houston and dropped 45 points to spur the upset road victory. Then, his game disappeared and he played two of the worst games of his career. Harden&rsquo;s 5-for-28 combined shooting in Games 2 and 3 was worst effort for him over any two-game span in his career &mdash; regular season or playoffs.
The best the 76ers could do ahead of Game 4 was hope for a productive Harden.
Philly got him.
Harden hit all three 3s in the first half and scored 21 points, five more than his Game 3 total. Embiid was as potent as he needed to perform and had 19 points and 11 boards to give the 76ers a 59-50 lead.
Boston suffered this time from a lack of star power. Tatum missed his first eight shots before he scored a bucket just before the half, just one woeful effort in a half where the Celtics shot 38% from the floor.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in overtime and scored 42 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers stave off a wild Boston Celtics comeback in a 116-115 victory on Sunday that evened their playoff series at 2-2.
Marcus Smart&rsquo;s potential winner was a tick too late and the Celtics now head home for Tuesday&rsquo;s Game 5. The 76ers are guaranteed to return home for Game 6 on Thursday.
Smart and Jayson Tatum keyed a Celtics rally from 15 points down with 2 minutes left in the third quarter in hopes of seizing control of the series.
The Sixers were on the brink of defeat numerous times over the final 17 minutes, none more than when Joel Embiid crashed into Smart on a driving, one-handed bank shot with 1:49 left but was whistled for an offensive foul. The play was reviewed and the call stood. Boston kept its 112-111 lead with 1:49 left in OT.
Embiid, the NBA MVP, kept his composure and eventually got to the line to sink two free throws with 59 seconds left and the season in the balance.
Embiid had 34 points and 13 rebounds. Harden added nine assists and eight rebounds.
Tatum struggled to score early but finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Smart had 21.
They went to overtime tied 107-all after Smart was short on a 3 at the horn on one of the few clutch shots Boston missed in the fourth quarter.
Boston&rsquo;s fun began in the period when Smart and Brown buried consecutive 3-pointers and Tatum attacked the rim for a bucket that wiped out an eight-point hole in 90 seconds. Al Horford put them ahead 98-90 &mdash; on a possession that started on the other end when Tyrese Maxey had his shot blocked &mdash; and shimmied for the crowd as boos rained on him.
Yes, the 76ers had home court but fans tensed up as memories all those second-round exits since 2001 stirred inside the building. Smart and Malcolm Brogdon hit consecutive 3s for a 105-100 lead.
But it was P.J. Tucker, the heart and guts of the Sixers, who again did the dirty work on a defensive rebound a bucket. He made the free throw with 1:05 left and the tie game gave them new life.
Good Game James showed up in Game 4 for the 76ers and Embiid played more like the MVP he was in the regular season than the banged-up edition with a sprained right knee of the last two games.
Harden played in Game 1 like he was still the MVP in Houston and dropped 45 points to spur the upset road victory. Then, his game disappeared and he played two of the worst games of his career. Harden&rsquo;s 5-for-28 combined shooting in Games 2 and 3 was worst effort for him over any two-game span in his career &mdash; regular season or playoffs.
The best the 76ers could do ahead of Game 4 was hope for a productive Harden.
Philly got him.
Harden hit all three 3s in the first half and scored 21 points, five more than his Game 3 total. Embiid was as potent as he needed to perform and had 19 points and 11 boards to give the 76ers a 59-50 lead.
Boston suffered this time from a lack of star power. Tatum missed his first eight shots before he scored a bucket just before the half, just one woeful effort in a half where the Celtics shot 38% from the floor.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Horford joined Tatum as Celtics with one basket in the first half. Brown tried to help with a 7-of-11 effort for 16 points.
76ers: Julius Erving was in the house. ... Embiid and Harden are the first Sixers teammates with 30 points each in a playoff game since Embiid and Seth Curry did it in June 2021 against Atlanta.

The Philadelphia 76ers staved off a wild Boston Celtics comeback in a 116-115 victory on Sunday that evened their playoff series at 2-2.

James Harden makes winning 3 in OT, 76ers tie series with Celtics

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-0f96443546f1fdbeae8aeaa4ce146c76">showed in Game 1</a>&nbsp;he could still be as great once as he ever was in his prime. The Beard just overall these days isn&rsquo;t as great as he once was in his halcyon days with Houston.
Harden&rsquo;s occasional big postseason games for the 76ers &mdash; like the 45 points he dropped against Boston in a Game 1 win &mdash; now come with immediate fallout.
Like&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-2023-2b0c931791b7d48b403ead0c9c7e1813">Game 2</a>, when Harden shot 2 of 14 in a loss.
Or&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/celtics-76ers-embiid-mvp-tatum-brown-e5b065453c1bd57287e6655e0ffa351f">Game 3</a>, when Harden had 3-for-14 shooting for 16 points in, yes, another loss.
For those keeping score at home, Harden&rsquo;s 5-for-28 shooting the last two games is the worst for him over any two-game span in his career &mdash; that includes regular season or playoffs &mdash; in which he&rsquo;s attempted at least 20 shots.
Yikes.
It&rsquo;s no wonder the Celtics hold a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals ahead of Sunday&rsquo;s Game 4 in Philadelphia. It&rsquo;s also no wonder why the whispers have grown louder that Harden wants to finish his career with the Rockets. Lose Game 4, and it could be the last one in Philly for Harden &mdash; and with more games like the last two, would the Sixers really be that crushed to see him go?
Harden brushed off concerns about his play, especially his odd Game 3 tendency of passing on open looks.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m pretty good on basketball instincts,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;I know when to score. I know when to pass, so I&rsquo;m pretty sure a lot of it was the right play.&rdquo;
Harden took a so-called discount (opting out of a $47.4 million deal this season to sign a more team-friendly extension) to chase a championship with reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Sixers. The 10-time All-Star has a $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season and he will likely decline it and chase more riches in another market.
Maybe circumstances change if the 76ers get past Boston and make a deep run.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s up to him to figure out how to best help us,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s fine. Sometimes you make them and sometimes you miss them. He made a lot of shots in Game 1. The last few games they haven&rsquo;t been going in. I have the trust in him to keep telling him to be aggressive and keep shooting.&rdquo;
But history is against Philly. Not just NBA history &mdash; teams that win Game 3 when a playoff series is tied 1-1 go on to win the series 73% of the time &mdash; but rivalry history. The Celtics eliminated the 76ers in the playoffs in 2020, 2018, 2012, 2002 and 1985. The Sixers haven&rsquo;t beat the Celtics in the playoffs since 1982 &mdash; a year before the Sixers won their last NBA championship.
Kevin Durant, Harden&rsquo;s former teammate during an ill-fated run in Brooklyn,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nuggets-suns-booker-durant-jokic-0469ef36ee77fe2eddb4dad8bce202b">scored 39 points</a>&nbsp;and the Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 121-114 to cut Denver&rsquo;s lead to 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal series. Devin Booker scored 47 points, shooting 20 of 25 from the field, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range, to keep the Suns alive headed into Sunday&rsquo;s Game 4 in Phoenix.
CELTICS AT 76ERS
Celtics lead 2-1. Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT, Sunday, ESPN
-- NEED TO KNOW: The 76ers are in trouble. Embiid is still achy, Harden is struggling and the Celtics clearly have Philly&rsquo;s number. The Celtics went 3-1 against the 76ers in the regular season and seem poised to repeat the feat in the playoffs. Not even the emotional carryover from Embiid&rsquo;s MVP ceremony helped the Sixers, as they quickly fell behind by 10 and never had the juice to fully recover.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Jayson Tatum. He watched Embiid&rsquo;s ceremony from the locker room and said it &ldquo;kind of got me really ready to play.&rdquo; He scored a team-high 27 points after he was held to just seven points in Game 2. Tatum scored eight points only 4 minutes into Game 3. If he continues to play like he did in Game 3 &mdash; while teammate Jaylen Brown continues to harangue Harden &mdash; it could be another big day for Boston.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Grant Williams said he still hurt from taking an accidental boot from Embiid to the back of his head. Embiid isn&rsquo;t 100% yet as he plays through a sprained right knee.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: 76ERS. The 76ers grabbed the early edge with a Game 1 win in Boston that earned them home-court advantage. They gave it right back in two straight losses where they&rsquo;ve mostly looked out of sorts against the Celtics.
NUGGETS AT SUNS
Nuggets lead 2-1. Game 4, 8 p.m. EDT, Sunday, ESPN
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Suns won their first game of the series in Game 3 thanks to another huge effort from Devin Booker, who scored 47 points on 20 of 25 shooting. Kevin Durant added 39. They&rsquo;ll probably need a similar effort to win Game 4 considering 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul is expected to be out once again with a strained groin.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: The Jokic-Ayton matchup. Denver star Nikola Jokic had another huge game in Game 3 with 30 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds. On the other hand, Ayton had arguably the worst game of his playoff career with just four points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes. Ayton was so ineffective that the former No. 1 overall pick was benched in favor of Jock Landale in the fourth quarter. The Suns still won but that&rsquo;s a trend that probably can&rsquo;t continue if Phoenix is going to win the series.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Outside of Phoenix&rsquo;s Paul, both teams are relatively healthy.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Booker. The three-time All-Star is averaging more than 36 points per game in these playoffs and its fairly clear that he has to continue his Hercules-style production if the Suns hope to advance.

The Celtics and Nuggets enter Sunday with 2-1 series leads over the 76ers and Suns.

Celtics, Nuggets seek 3-1 series leads over 76ers, Phoenix

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Scrambling for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter and the outcome of Game 3 still in the balance, Grant Williams was accidentally stomped&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1654667918641340416?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">face-first into the court</a>&nbsp;by Joel Embiid&rsquo;s wayward foot.
Much like the Celtics after their Game 1 debacle, a bloody, shaken Williams absorbed the beating and came back to help stick it to the suddenly shaky 76ers.
&ldquo;That was kind of nasty,&rdquo; Celtics guard Jayson Tatum said.
So, too, is what the Celtics have done to Embiid, James Harden and the rest of the Sixers while seizing control of the series.
Tatum scored 27 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston spoiled Embiid&rsquo;s MVP coronation, beating Philadelphia 114-102 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Williams didn&rsquo;t score a point in 23 minutes, but his toughness in shaking off the sneaker to the back of his head symbolized the way Boston has continued to fight after a Game 1 embarrassment.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Scrambling for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter and the outcome of Game 3 still in the balance, Grant Williams was accidentally stomped&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1654667918641340416?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">face-first into the court</a>&nbsp;by Joel Embiid&rsquo;s wayward foot.
Much like the Celtics after their Game 1 debacle, a bloody, shaken Williams absorbed the beating and came back to help stick it to the suddenly shaky 76ers.
&ldquo;That was kind of nasty,&rdquo; Celtics guard Jayson Tatum said.
So, too, is what the Celtics have done to Embiid, James Harden and the rest of the Sixers while seizing control of the series.
Tatum scored 27 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston spoiled Embiid&rsquo;s MVP coronation, beating Philadelphia 114-102 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Williams didn&rsquo;t score a point in 23 minutes, but his toughness in shaking off the sneaker to the back of his head symbolized the way Boston has continued to fight after a Game 1 embarrassment.
&ldquo;I was like, &rsquo;Dang, I really got curb-stomped,&rsquo;&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just thankful he didn&rsquo;t like fully just lean his weight onto it. He definitely got me pretty badly. But then I think he felt that he landed on something, so he picked his foot up. It hurts a little bit.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Scrambling for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter and the outcome of Game 3 still in the balance, Grant Williams was accidentally stomped&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1654667918641340416?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">face-first into the court</a>&nbsp;by Joel Embiid&rsquo;s wayward foot.
Much like the Celtics after their Game 1 debacle, a bloody, shaken Williams absorbed the beating and came back to help stick it to the suddenly shaky 76ers.
&ldquo;That was kind of nasty,&rdquo; Celtics guard Jayson Tatum said.
So, too, is what the Celtics have done to Embiid, James Harden and the rest of the Sixers while seizing control of the series.
Tatum scored 27 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston spoiled Embiid&rsquo;s MVP coronation, beating Philadelphia 114-102 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Williams didn&rsquo;t score a point in 23 minutes, but his toughness in shaking off the sneaker to the back of his head symbolized the way Boston has continued to fight after a Game 1 embarrassment.
&ldquo;I was like, &rsquo;Dang, I really got curb-stomped,&rsquo;&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just thankful he didn&rsquo;t like fully just lean his weight onto it. He definitely got me pretty badly. But then I think he felt that he landed on something, so he picked his foot up. It hurts a little bit.&rdquo;
Embiid had 30 points and 13 rebounds in his second game back from a sprained right knee after receiving his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony.
Boston gave 76ers fans little reason to cheer again.
The Sixers pulled within five on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s 3-pointer to get the crowd back into the game for all of 20 seconds before Malcolm Brogdon countered with a 3 to give Boston a 100-92 lead. Al Horford crushed the Sixers again &mdash; as he has most of his career &mdash; when he buried a 3 for a seven-point lead.
Embiid, forced to try and win it alone without any serious offensive help, missed a pull-up 18-footer and Tatum drained a jumper that all but put the game away. Tatum hit one more 3 for good measure and the Celtics won their second straight.
&ldquo;We just held the ball too long, too much,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t start our actions fast enough. That&rsquo;s why it looks so slow. We&rsquo;re not scoring the ball. We&rsquo;re not making shots.&rdquo;
Embiid was flanked by his parents and teammates as he received the MVP trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before Game 3. Sixers fans roared as Embiid hoisted the trophy high over his head. Then the moment turned touching. Embiid&rsquo;s young son, Arthur, ran onto the court and into the arms of his father.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Scrambling for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter and the outcome of Game 3 still in the balance, Grant Williams was accidentally stomped&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1654667918641340416?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">face-first into the court</a>&nbsp;by Joel Embiid&rsquo;s wayward foot.
Much like the Celtics after their Game 1 debacle, a bloody, shaken Williams absorbed the beating and came back to help stick it to the suddenly shaky 76ers.
&ldquo;That was kind of nasty,&rdquo; Celtics guard Jayson Tatum said.
So, too, is what the Celtics have done to Embiid, James Harden and the rest of the Sixers while seizing control of the series.
Tatum scored 27 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston spoiled Embiid&rsquo;s MVP coronation, beating Philadelphia 114-102 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Williams didn&rsquo;t score a point in 23 minutes, but his toughness in shaking off the sneaker to the back of his head symbolized the way Boston has continued to fight after a Game 1 embarrassment.
&ldquo;I was like, &rsquo;Dang, I really got curb-stomped,&rsquo;&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just thankful he didn&rsquo;t like fully just lean his weight onto it. He definitely got me pretty badly. But then I think he felt that he landed on something, so he picked his foot up. It hurts a little bit.&rdquo;
Embiid had 30 points and 13 rebounds in his second game back from a sprained right knee after receiving his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony.
Boston gave 76ers fans little reason to cheer again.
The Sixers pulled within five on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s 3-pointer to get the crowd back into the game for all of 20 seconds before Malcolm Brogdon countered with a 3 to give Boston a 100-92 lead. Al Horford crushed the Sixers again &mdash; as he has most of his career &mdash; when he buried a 3 for a seven-point lead.
Embiid, forced to try and win it alone without any serious offensive help, missed a pull-up 18-footer and Tatum drained a jumper that all but put the game away. Tatum hit one more 3 for good measure and the Celtics won their second straight.
&ldquo;We just held the ball too long, too much,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t start our actions fast enough. That&rsquo;s why it looks so slow. We&rsquo;re not scoring the ball. We&rsquo;re not making shots.&rdquo;
Embiid was flanked by his parents and teammates as he received the MVP trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before Game 3. Sixers fans roared as Embiid hoisted the trophy high over his head. Then the moment turned touching. Embiid&rsquo;s young son, Arthur, ran onto the court and into the arms of his father.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1654634059199393792?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Embiid held his son</a>, who wore a &ldquo;My dad is the MVP&rdquo; T-shirt, and wiped tears from his eyes as fans chanted &ldquo;MVP! MVP!&rdquo;
&ldquo;Honestly, he&rsquo;s the main reason why I&rsquo;m really here,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;Becoming a father really changed my whole life. I just wanted to show him a good example.&rdquo;
The good times didn&rsquo;t last long.
Boston spiked any emotional carryover from the ceremony and raced to a quick 10-point lead.
The Sixers spent the rest of the game playing catch-up. All the energy spent to come back and take brief leads quickly evaporated and the Celtics snagged them right back.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Scrambling for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter and the outcome of Game 3 still in the balance, Grant Williams was accidentally stomped&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1654667918641340416?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">face-first into the court</a>&nbsp;by Joel Embiid&rsquo;s wayward foot.
Much like the Celtics after their Game 1 debacle, a bloody, shaken Williams absorbed the beating and came back to help stick it to the suddenly shaky 76ers.
&ldquo;That was kind of nasty,&rdquo; Celtics guard Jayson Tatum said.
So, too, is what the Celtics have done to Embiid, James Harden and the rest of the Sixers while seizing control of the series.
Tatum scored 27 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston spoiled Embiid&rsquo;s MVP coronation, beating Philadelphia 114-102 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Williams didn&rsquo;t score a point in 23 minutes, but his toughness in shaking off the sneaker to the back of his head symbolized the way Boston has continued to fight after a Game 1 embarrassment.
&ldquo;I was like, &rsquo;Dang, I really got curb-stomped,&rsquo;&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just thankful he didn&rsquo;t like fully just lean his weight onto it. He definitely got me pretty badly. But then I think he felt that he landed on something, so he picked his foot up. It hurts a little bit.&rdquo;
Embiid had 30 points and 13 rebounds in his second game back from a sprained right knee after receiving his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony.
Boston gave 76ers fans little reason to cheer again.
The Sixers pulled within five on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s 3-pointer to get the crowd back into the game for all of 20 seconds before Malcolm Brogdon countered with a 3 to give Boston a 100-92 lead. Al Horford crushed the Sixers again &mdash; as he has most of his career &mdash; when he buried a 3 for a seven-point lead.
Embiid, forced to try and win it alone without any serious offensive help, missed a pull-up 18-footer and Tatum drained a jumper that all but put the game away. Tatum hit one more 3 for good measure and the Celtics won their second straight.
&ldquo;We just held the ball too long, too much,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t start our actions fast enough. That&rsquo;s why it looks so slow. We&rsquo;re not scoring the ball. We&rsquo;re not making shots.&rdquo;
Embiid was flanked by his parents and teammates as he received the MVP trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before Game 3. Sixers fans roared as Embiid hoisted the trophy high over his head. Then the moment turned touching. Embiid&rsquo;s young son, Arthur, ran onto the court and into the arms of his father.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1654634059199393792?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Embiid held his son</a>, who wore a &ldquo;My dad is the MVP&rdquo; T-shirt, and wiped tears from his eyes as fans chanted &ldquo;MVP! MVP!&rdquo;
&ldquo;Honestly, he&rsquo;s the main reason why I&rsquo;m really here,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;Becoming a father really changed my whole life. I just wanted to show him a good example.&rdquo;
The good times didn&rsquo;t last long.
Boston spiked any emotional carryover from the ceremony and raced to a quick 10-point lead.
The Sixers spent the rest of the game playing catch-up. All the energy spent to come back and take brief leads quickly evaporated and the Celtics snagged them right back.
Embiid gamely tried to carry the Sixers on one good knee, but got almost no help from Harden and Tyrese Maxey. Harden&rsquo;s 45-point effort in a Game 1 upset in Boston seemed more an aberration than a sign of things to come. Harden followed his 2 of 14 in a Game 2 loss with 3-for-14 shooting for 16 points.
Harden&rsquo;s 5-for-28 shooting the last two games is the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1654675131971563520" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">worst for him over any two-game span</a>&nbsp;in his career, regular season or playoffs, in which he&rsquo;s attempted at least 20 field goals.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just trying to make him work as much as we can,&rdquo; Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. &ldquo;Trying to keep him off the free-throw line. Guys are just working to take away those details.&rdquo;
Harden failed to pick up the Sixers in the third, when he could have changed the game.
He did hit P.J. Tucker for a 3 that pulled the Sixers to 74-72. Harden then missed two straight jumpers and fouled Brown on a tough layup. Brown made the free throw and the Celtics were back up by eight.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Scrambling for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter and the outcome of Game 3 still in the balance, Grant Williams was accidentally stomped&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1654667918641340416?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">face-first into the court</a>&nbsp;by Joel Embiid&rsquo;s wayward foot.
Much like the Celtics after their Game 1 debacle, a bloody, shaken Williams absorbed the beating and came back to help stick it to the suddenly shaky 76ers.
&ldquo;That was kind of nasty,&rdquo; Celtics guard Jayson Tatum said.
So, too, is what the Celtics have done to Embiid, James Harden and the rest of the Sixers while seizing control of the series.
Tatum scored 27 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston spoiled Embiid&rsquo;s MVP coronation, beating Philadelphia 114-102 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Williams didn&rsquo;t score a point in 23 minutes, but his toughness in shaking off the sneaker to the back of his head symbolized the way Boston has continued to fight after a Game 1 embarrassment.
&ldquo;I was like, &rsquo;Dang, I really got curb-stomped,&rsquo;&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just thankful he didn&rsquo;t like fully just lean his weight onto it. He definitely got me pretty badly. But then I think he felt that he landed on something, so he picked his foot up. It hurts a little bit.&rdquo;
Embiid had 30 points and 13 rebounds in his second game back from a sprained right knee after receiving his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony.
Boston gave 76ers fans little reason to cheer again.
The Sixers pulled within five on De&rsquo;Anthony Melton&rsquo;s 3-pointer to get the crowd back into the game for all of 20 seconds before Malcolm Brogdon countered with a 3 to give Boston a 100-92 lead. Al Horford crushed the Sixers again &mdash; as he has most of his career &mdash; when he buried a 3 for a seven-point lead.
Embiid, forced to try and win it alone without any serious offensive help, missed a pull-up 18-footer and Tatum drained a jumper that all but put the game away. Tatum hit one more 3 for good measure and the Celtics won their second straight.
&ldquo;We just held the ball too long, too much,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t start our actions fast enough. That&rsquo;s why it looks so slow. We&rsquo;re not scoring the ball. We&rsquo;re not making shots.&rdquo;
Embiid was flanked by his parents and teammates as he received the MVP trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before Game 3. Sixers fans roared as Embiid hoisted the trophy high over his head. Then the moment turned touching. Embiid&rsquo;s young son, Arthur, ran onto the court and into the arms of his father.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1654634059199393792?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Embiid held his son</a>, who wore a &ldquo;My dad is the MVP&rdquo; T-shirt, and wiped tears from his eyes as fans chanted &ldquo;MVP! MVP!&rdquo;
&ldquo;Honestly, he&rsquo;s the main reason why I&rsquo;m really here,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;Becoming a father really changed my whole life. I just wanted to show him a good example.&rdquo;
The good times didn&rsquo;t last long.
Boston spiked any emotional carryover from the ceremony and raced to a quick 10-point lead.
The Sixers spent the rest of the game playing catch-up. All the energy spent to come back and take brief leads quickly evaporated and the Celtics snagged them right back.
Embiid gamely tried to carry the Sixers on one good knee, but got almost no help from Harden and Tyrese Maxey. Harden&rsquo;s 45-point effort in a Game 1 upset in Boston seemed more an aberration than a sign of things to come. Harden followed his 2 of 14 in a Game 2 loss with 3-for-14 shooting for 16 points.
Harden&rsquo;s 5-for-28 shooting the last two games is the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1654675131971563520" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">worst for him over any two-game span</a>&nbsp;in his career, regular season or playoffs, in which he&rsquo;s attempted at least 20 field goals.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just trying to make him work as much as we can,&rdquo; Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. &ldquo;Trying to keep him off the free-throw line. Guys are just working to take away those details.&rdquo;
Harden failed to pick up the Sixers in the third, when he could have changed the game.
He did hit P.J. Tucker for a 3 that pulled the Sixers to 74-72. Harden then missed two straight jumpers and fouled Brown on a tough layup. Brown made the free throw and the Celtics were back up by eight.
Harden oddly passed up plenty of easy looks and layups and also committed five turnovers.
Embiid had scored 53 points against the Celtics in an early-April matchup, but could never get cooking in Game 3. The Celtics double-teamed Embiid from the jump and he looked gassed by the end of the third. Without a teammate he could trust to make shots, Embiid took the scoring load on himself and scored 12 points in the third when he played the entire quarter.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t get the ball enough,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;Not to score, but also to make plays for my teammates. They had a tendency of doubling quite a bit tonight, so I thought we could have used that to our advantage. When we did, we also missed a lot of wide-open 3s.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Celtics: Tatum added 10 rebounds. ... Boston 16 of 45 3-pointers.
76ers: Made 12 of 12 free throws in the first quarter. ... Made 16 of 37 3s.

Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston spoiled Embiid’s MVP coronation, beating Philadelphia 114-102.

Tatum, Brown spark Celtics past 76ers 114-102 in Game 3

Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy Tuesday night, topping two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The 29-year-old from Yaound&eacute;, Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. Embiid played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career, but again has been hit with injuries in the playoffs. Embiid has been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-embiid-injury-b72b1fe4e0cea17fc478be83c5c4534d">sidelined with a sprained right</a>&nbsp;knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-0f96443546f1fdbeae8aeaa4ce146c76">Boston, which was won by Philadelphia on Monday night.</a>
Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes. Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo got 12.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time coming,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;A lot of hard work. I&rsquo;ve been through a lot. I&rsquo;m not just talking about basketball. I&rsquo;m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy Tuesday night, topping two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The 29-year-old from Yaound&eacute;, Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. Embiid played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career, but again has been hit with injuries in the playoffs. Embiid has been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-embiid-injury-b72b1fe4e0cea17fc478be83c5c4534d">sidelined with a sprained right</a>&nbsp;knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-0f96443546f1fdbeae8aeaa4ce146c76">Boston, which was won by Philadelphia on Monday night.</a>
Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes. Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo got 12.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time coming,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;A lot of hard work. I&rsquo;ve been through a lot. I&rsquo;m not just talking about basketball. I&rsquo;m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.&rdquo;
The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1653538793180332033?s=46&amp;t=-ELqRXA-wk5r0LdHkAiIBg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">76ers watched on TV in Boston and erupted in applause and started chanting &ldquo;MVP! MVP!</a> &rdquo; as the big man buried his head in his hands as he sat in a chair. Embiid was in tears as teammates James Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey mobbed him in celebration.
&nbsp;

Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy Tuesday night, topping two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The 29-year-old from Yaound&eacute;, Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. Embiid played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career, but again has been hit with injuries in the playoffs. Embiid has been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-embiid-injury-b72b1fe4e0cea17fc478be83c5c4534d">sidelined with a sprained right</a>&nbsp;knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-0f96443546f1fdbeae8aeaa4ce146c76">Boston, which was won by Philadelphia on Monday night.</a>
Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes. Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo got 12.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time coming,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;A lot of hard work. I&rsquo;ve been through a lot. I&rsquo;m not just talking about basketball. I&rsquo;m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.&rdquo;
The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1653538793180332033?s=46&amp;t=-ELqRXA-wk5r0LdHkAiIBg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">76ers watched on TV in Boston and erupted in applause and started chanting &ldquo;MVP! MVP!</a> &rdquo; as the big man buried his head in his hands as he sat in a chair. Embiid was in tears as teammates James Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey mobbed him in celebration.
Embiid then vowed &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back&rdquo; for the playoff series against the Celtics.
But as for Game 2 on Wednesday night?
&ldquo;We shall see,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Embiid has been determined to win -- and campaigned for -- the MVP trophy for years. The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men of his generation. He was at his best this season when he totaled three 50-point games, including a career-high 59 against Utah in November. He had 13 total 40-point games.
When Embiid totaled 52 points and 13 rebounds in a win against the Celtics in April, coach Doc Rivers boldly declared, &ldquo;The MVP race is over.&rdquo;
Embiid certainly didn&rsquo;t argue that night with his coach or Sixers teammates who stumped on his behalf.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re probably right,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;But we have bigger goals in mind.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy Tuesday night, topping two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The 29-year-old from Yaound&eacute;, Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. Embiid played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career, but again has been hit with injuries in the playoffs. Embiid has been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-embiid-injury-b72b1fe4e0cea17fc478be83c5c4534d">sidelined with a sprained right</a>&nbsp;knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-0f96443546f1fdbeae8aeaa4ce146c76">Boston, which was won by Philadelphia on Monday night.</a>
Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes. Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo got 12.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time coming,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;A lot of hard work. I&rsquo;ve been through a lot. I&rsquo;m not just talking about basketball. I&rsquo;m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.&rdquo;
The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1653538793180332033?s=46&amp;t=-ELqRXA-wk5r0LdHkAiIBg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">76ers watched on TV in Boston and erupted in applause and started chanting &ldquo;MVP! MVP!</a> &rdquo; as the big man buried his head in his hands as he sat in a chair. Embiid was in tears as teammates James Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey mobbed him in celebration.
Embiid then vowed &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back&rdquo; for the playoff series against the Celtics.
But as for Game 2 on Wednesday night?
&ldquo;We shall see,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Embiid has been determined to win -- and campaigned for -- the MVP trophy for years. The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men of his generation. He was at his best this season when he totaled three 50-point games, including a career-high 59 against Utah in November. He had 13 total 40-point games.
When Embiid totaled 52 points and 13 rebounds in a win against the Celtics in April, coach Doc Rivers boldly declared, &ldquo;The MVP race is over.&rdquo;
Embiid certainly didn&rsquo;t argue that night with his coach or Sixers teammates who stumped on his behalf.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re probably right,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;But we have bigger goals in mind.&rdquo;
Embiid is the first 76er to win league MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. Julius Erving in 1981, Moses Malone in 1983 and Wilt Chamberlain from 1966-1968 are other 76ers to win NBA MVP awards.
Embiid&rsquo;s injury could be the deciding factor in the 76ers&rsquo; chase for the NBA championship. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA title since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001 &mdash; which was the last time a Sixer won the MVP award.
Allen Iverson was named league MVP in 2001. Other 76ers to capture the league&rsquo;s top individual award: Julius Erving, 1981; Moses Malone, 1983; and Wilt Chamberlain, 1966-1968.
Embiid, who graduated from a Florida high school and played a season in college at Kansas, has been every bit the dominant force in the NBA over the past seven seasons. Once the poster child for load management, Embiid has played 134 regular-season games the last two seasons and his 30.6 points last season made him the first international player ever to win an NBA scoring title. He&rsquo;s a six-time All-Star and was runner-up each of the last two seasons to Jokic.
&nbsp;

Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy Tuesday night, topping two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The 29-year-old from Yaound&eacute;, Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. Embiid played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career, but again has been hit with injuries in the playoffs. Embiid has been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-embiid-injury-b72b1fe4e0cea17fc478be83c5c4534d">sidelined with a sprained right</a>&nbsp;knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-0f96443546f1fdbeae8aeaa4ce146c76">Boston, which was won by Philadelphia on Monday night.</a>
Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes. Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo got 12.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time coming,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;A lot of hard work. I&rsquo;ve been through a lot. I&rsquo;m not just talking about basketball. I&rsquo;m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.&rdquo;
The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1653538793180332033?s=46&amp;t=-ELqRXA-wk5r0LdHkAiIBg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">76ers watched on TV in Boston and erupted in applause and started chanting &ldquo;MVP! MVP!</a> &rdquo; as the big man buried his head in his hands as he sat in a chair. Embiid was in tears as teammates James Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey mobbed him in celebration.
Embiid then vowed &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back&rdquo; for the playoff series against the Celtics.
But as for Game 2 on Wednesday night?
&ldquo;We shall see,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Embiid has been determined to win -- and campaigned for -- the MVP trophy for years. The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men of his generation. He was at his best this season when he totaled three 50-point games, including a career-high 59 against Utah in November. He had 13 total 40-point games.
When Embiid totaled 52 points and 13 rebounds in a win against the Celtics in April, coach Doc Rivers boldly declared, &ldquo;The MVP race is over.&rdquo;
Embiid certainly didn&rsquo;t argue that night with his coach or Sixers teammates who stumped on his behalf.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re probably right,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;But we have bigger goals in mind.&rdquo;
Embiid is the first 76er to win league MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. Julius Erving in 1981, Moses Malone in 1983 and Wilt Chamberlain from 1966-1968 are other 76ers to win NBA MVP awards.
Embiid&rsquo;s injury could be the deciding factor in the 76ers&rsquo; chase for the NBA championship. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA title since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001 &mdash; which was the last time a Sixer won the MVP award.
Allen Iverson was named league MVP in 2001. Other 76ers to capture the league&rsquo;s top individual award: Julius Erving, 1981; Moses Malone, 1983; and Wilt Chamberlain, 1966-1968.
Embiid, who graduated from a Florida high school and played a season in college at Kansas, has been every bit the dominant force in the NBA over the past seven seasons. Once the poster child for load management, Embiid has played 134 regular-season games the last two seasons and his 30.6 points last season made him the first international player ever to win an NBA scoring title. He&rsquo;s a six-time All-Star and was runner-up each of the last two seasons to Jokic.
Antetokounmpo won in 2019 and 2020. Jokic in 2021 and 2022.
Now, the award belongs to Embiid, who didn&rsquo;t pick up a basketball until he was a teenager in Africa, when a friend informed him that very few 7-footers succeed in soccer.
A few months later, Embiid was lured to a basketball camp in the capital of Yaounde run by NBA veteran Luc Mbah a Moute, one of just two players from Cameroon to have played in the NBA. Mbah a Moute persuaded Embiid&rsquo;s parents to let him move 6,000 miles to Florida, and helped enroll him at Montverde Academy, one of the best high school programs in the country. He played just 28 games in his lone season at Kansas before leaving for the NBA.
&nbsp;

Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy Tuesday night, topping two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The 29-year-old from Yaound&eacute;, Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. Embiid played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career, but again has been hit with injuries in the playoffs. Embiid has been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-embiid-injury-b72b1fe4e0cea17fc478be83c5c4534d">sidelined with a sprained right</a>&nbsp;knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-0f96443546f1fdbeae8aeaa4ce146c76">Boston, which was won by Philadelphia on Monday night.</a>
Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes. Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo got 12.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time coming,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;A lot of hard work. I&rsquo;ve been through a lot. I&rsquo;m not just talking about basketball. I&rsquo;m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.&rdquo;
The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1653538793180332033?s=46&amp;t=-ELqRXA-wk5r0LdHkAiIBg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">76ers watched on TV in Boston and erupted in applause and started chanting &ldquo;MVP! MVP!</a> &rdquo; as the big man buried his head in his hands as he sat in a chair. Embiid was in tears as teammates James Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey mobbed him in celebration.
Embiid then vowed &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back&rdquo; for the playoff series against the Celtics.
But as for Game 2 on Wednesday night?
&ldquo;We shall see,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Embiid has been determined to win -- and campaigned for -- the MVP trophy for years. The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men of his generation. He was at his best this season when he totaled three 50-point games, including a career-high 59 against Utah in November. He had 13 total 40-point games.
When Embiid totaled 52 points and 13 rebounds in a win against the Celtics in April, coach Doc Rivers boldly declared, &ldquo;The MVP race is over.&rdquo;
Embiid certainly didn&rsquo;t argue that night with his coach or Sixers teammates who stumped on his behalf.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re probably right,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;But we have bigger goals in mind.&rdquo;
Embiid is the first 76er to win league MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. Julius Erving in 1981, Moses Malone in 1983 and Wilt Chamberlain from 1966-1968 are other 76ers to win NBA MVP awards.
Embiid&rsquo;s injury could be the deciding factor in the 76ers&rsquo; chase for the NBA championship. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA title since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001 &mdash; which was the last time a Sixer won the MVP award.
Allen Iverson was named league MVP in 2001. Other 76ers to capture the league&rsquo;s top individual award: Julius Erving, 1981; Moses Malone, 1983; and Wilt Chamberlain, 1966-1968.
Embiid, who graduated from a Florida high school and played a season in college at Kansas, has been every bit the dominant force in the NBA over the past seven seasons. Once the poster child for load management, Embiid has played 134 regular-season games the last two seasons and his 30.6 points last season made him the first international player ever to win an NBA scoring title. He&rsquo;s a six-time All-Star and was runner-up each of the last two seasons to Jokic.
Antetokounmpo won in 2019 and 2020. Jokic in 2021 and 2022.
Now, the award belongs to Embiid, who didn&rsquo;t pick up a basketball until he was a teenager in Africa, when a friend informed him that very few 7-footers succeed in soccer.
A few months later, Embiid was lured to a basketball camp in the capital of Yaounde run by NBA veteran Luc Mbah a Moute, one of just two players from Cameroon to have played in the NBA. Mbah a Moute persuaded Embiid&rsquo;s parents to let him move 6,000 miles to Florida, and helped enroll him at Montverde Academy, one of the best high school programs in the country. He played just 28 games in his lone season at Kansas before leaving for the NBA.
&ldquo;I am absolutely thrilled for Joel on winning the MVP award. He is the real deal and deserves every bit of recognition that comes his way,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;He embodies everything that the honor stands for. His drive to improve is unmatched, and like the saying &lsquo;a dream doesn&rsquo;t become reality through magic, it takes hard work&rsquo;, he&rsquo;s put in the work.&rdquo;
Embiid, who became an American citizen last year, was known early in his career for sucking down Shirley Temples but has worked with sports dietitians to develop healthier eating habits and streamlined his workouts.
Sixers fans can enjoy him for years. Embiid&rsquo;s four-year, $196 million contract extension doesn&rsquo;t kick in until next season and takes him through 2026-27.
The affable center became the face of the 76ers&rsquo; rebuilding effort more commonly known as The Process. He embraced the nickname and is introduced before every home game as Joel &ldquo;The Process&rdquo; Embiid.
He can now add MVP.
Billboards went up around Philadelphia of Embiid with the slogan &ldquo;MVPIID&rdquo; and Sixers fans serenaded him with &ldquo;MVP!&rdquo; chants from pregame introductions all the way to his final free throw attempts.
&nbsp;

Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy Tuesday night, topping two-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The 29-year-old from Yaound&eacute;, Cameroon, averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. Embiid played in 66 games, the second-highest total of his career, but again has been hit with injuries in the playoffs. Embiid has been&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-embiid-injury-b72b1fe4e0cea17fc478be83c5c4534d">sidelined with a sprained right</a>&nbsp;knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals against&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/76ers-celtics-nba-playoffs-0f96443546f1fdbeae8aeaa4ce146c76">Boston, which was won by Philadelphia on Monday night.</a>
Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes. Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo got 12.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time coming,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;A lot of hard work. I&rsquo;ve been through a lot. I&rsquo;m not just talking about basketball. I&rsquo;m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.&rdquo;
The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1653538793180332033?s=46&amp;t=-ELqRXA-wk5r0LdHkAiIBg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">76ers watched on TV in Boston and erupted in applause and started chanting &ldquo;MVP! MVP!</a> &rdquo; as the big man buried his head in his hands as he sat in a chair. Embiid was in tears as teammates James Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey mobbed him in celebration.
Embiid then vowed &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back&rdquo; for the playoff series against the Celtics.
But as for Game 2 on Wednesday night?
&ldquo;We shall see,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Embiid has been determined to win -- and campaigned for -- the MVP trophy for years. The third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men of his generation. He was at his best this season when he totaled three 50-point games, including a career-high 59 against Utah in November. He had 13 total 40-point games.
When Embiid totaled 52 points and 13 rebounds in a win against the Celtics in April, coach Doc Rivers boldly declared, &ldquo;The MVP race is over.&rdquo;
Embiid certainly didn&rsquo;t argue that night with his coach or Sixers teammates who stumped on his behalf.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re probably right,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;But we have bigger goals in mind.&rdquo;
Embiid is the first 76er to win league MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. Julius Erving in 1981, Moses Malone in 1983 and Wilt Chamberlain from 1966-1968 are other 76ers to win NBA MVP awards.
Embiid&rsquo;s injury could be the deciding factor in the 76ers&rsquo; chase for the NBA championship. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA title since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001 &mdash; which was the last time a Sixer won the MVP award.
Allen Iverson was named league MVP in 2001. Other 76ers to capture the league&rsquo;s top individual award: Julius Erving, 1981; Moses Malone, 1983; and Wilt Chamberlain, 1966-1968.
Embiid, who graduated from a Florida high school and played a season in college at Kansas, has been every bit the dominant force in the NBA over the past seven seasons. Once the poster child for load management, Embiid has played 134 regular-season games the last two seasons and his 30.6 points last season made him the first international player ever to win an NBA scoring title. He&rsquo;s a six-time All-Star and was runner-up each of the last two seasons to Jokic.
Antetokounmpo won in 2019 and 2020. Jokic in 2021 and 2022.
Now, the award belongs to Embiid, who didn&rsquo;t pick up a basketball until he was a teenager in Africa, when a friend informed him that very few 7-footers succeed in soccer.
A few months later, Embiid was lured to a basketball camp in the capital of Yaounde run by NBA veteran Luc Mbah a Moute, one of just two players from Cameroon to have played in the NBA. Mbah a Moute persuaded Embiid&rsquo;s parents to let him move 6,000 miles to Florida, and helped enroll him at Montverde Academy, one of the best high school programs in the country. He played just 28 games in his lone season at Kansas before leaving for the NBA.
&ldquo;I am absolutely thrilled for Joel on winning the MVP award. He is the real deal and deserves every bit of recognition that comes his way,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;He embodies everything that the honor stands for. His drive to improve is unmatched, and like the saying &lsquo;a dream doesn&rsquo;t become reality through magic, it takes hard work&rsquo;, he&rsquo;s put in the work.&rdquo;
Embiid, who became an American citizen last year, was known early in his career for sucking down Shirley Temples but has worked with sports dietitians to develop healthier eating habits and streamlined his workouts.
Sixers fans can enjoy him for years. Embiid&rsquo;s four-year, $196 million contract extension doesn&rsquo;t kick in until next season and takes him through 2026-27.
The affable center became the face of the 76ers&rsquo; rebuilding effort more commonly known as The Process. He embraced the nickname and is introduced before every home game as Joel &ldquo;The Process&rdquo; Embiid.
He can now add MVP.
Billboards went up around Philadelphia of Embiid with the slogan &ldquo;MVPIID&rdquo; and Sixers fans serenaded him with &ldquo;MVP!&rdquo; chants from pregame introductions all the way to his final free throw attempts.
Embiid, who shares with his long-time girlfriend a son named in the honor of his late brother, holds career averages of 27.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in 394 career starts. He&rsquo;s a four-time All-NBA selection and three-time All-Defensive Team selection.
This is the fifth consecutive year an international player has been MVP, extending the longest streak in NBA history. It&rsquo;s also the second time that international players finished 1-2-3 in MVP voting; the first time was last season.
Embiid becomes the second winner from Africa, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, the Nigerian who won for Houston in 1994.

Philadelphia 76ers center and league scoring champion Joel Embiid earned his first NBA MVP trophy on Tuesday night.

NBA MVP: 76ers’ Joel Embiid wins league’s top individual honor

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid will sit out because of a sprained right knee when the Philadelphia 76ers try to complete a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
The 76ers added the All-Star center to the injury report Friday night, a night after he was limping multiple times during their 102-97 victory in Game 3.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid will sit out because of a sprained right knee when the Philadelphia 76ers try to complete a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
The 76ers added the All-Star center to the injury report Friday night, a night after he was limping multiple times during their 102-97 victory in Game 3.
The NBA&rsquo;s leading scorer did block a shot to protect a two-point lead with 8.8 seconds left and said after the game he was OK.
Embiid, a two-time NBA scoring champion, has been hit by injuries in the playoffs most of his career. He suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb and an orbital fracture last year in the playoffs. He&rsquo;s missed other postseason games with knee injuries and illness.
The 76ers can&rsquo;t afford to have Embiid miss much time if they want to make a serious run at their first NBA championship since 1983.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid will sit out because of a sprained right knee when the Philadelphia 76ers try to complete a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
The 76ers added the All-Star center to the injury report Friday night, a night after he was limping multiple times during their 102-97 victory in Game 3.
The NBA&rsquo;s leading scorer did block a shot to protect a two-point lead with 8.8 seconds left and said after the game he was OK.
Embiid, a two-time NBA scoring champion, has been hit by injuries in the playoffs most of his career. He suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb and an orbital fracture last year in the playoffs. He&rsquo;s missed other postseason games with knee injuries and illness.
The 76ers can&rsquo;t afford to have Embiid miss much time if they want to make a serious run at their first NBA championship since 1983.
Embiid dodged an ejection Thursday night when he kicked his leg up toward Nets center Nic Claxton&rsquo;s groin. Claxton had just dunked and Embiid fell to the court after fouling him. Claxton then slowly stepped over Embiid, who kicked up his leg into Claxton&rsquo;s upper leg area before players from both teams rushed in.
After a video review, Embiid was given a flagrant foul 1.

Joel Embiid will sit out because of a sprained right knee when the 76ers try to complete a sweep of the Nets on Saturday.

76ers’ Joel Embiid ruled out for Game 4 with sprained knee

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris had 20 apiece, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Embiid, the two-time NBA scoring champion, was quiet offensively, going 6 of 11 from the floor, but he did just about everything else. The MVP finalist had 19 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
Harris had 12 rebounds. James Harden scored only eight points on 3-of-13 shooting for the Sixers after a sensational Game 1 effort.
Game 3 is Thursday in New York.
Cam Johnson led the Nets with 28 points. Johnson&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1648123998000017409" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sent Embiid stumbling on a one-handed dunk</a>&nbsp;down the right side that posterized the 7-footer. Johnson stared down Embiid as the Nets forward backpedaled on defense in the first half.
That was Brooklyn&rsquo;s last GIF-worthy highlight.
Maybe the 76ers just needed to listen to their coach more as they chase their first NBA championship since 1983.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris had 20 apiece, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Embiid, the two-time NBA scoring champion, was quiet offensively, going 6 of 11 from the floor, but he did just about everything else. The MVP finalist had 19 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
Harris had 12 rebounds. James Harden scored only eight points on 3-of-13 shooting for the Sixers after a sensational Game 1 effort.
Game 3 is Thursday in New York.
Cam Johnson led the Nets with 28 points. Johnson&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1648123998000017409" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sent Embiid stumbling on a one-handed dunk</a>&nbsp;down the right side that posterized the 7-footer. Johnson stared down Embiid as the Nets forward backpedaled on defense in the first half.
That was Brooklyn&rsquo;s last GIF-worthy highlight.
Maybe the 76ers just needed to listen to their coach more as they chase their first NBA championship since 1983.
After Brooklyn scored the first bucket of the second half, Doc Rivers called a quick timeout.
&ldquo;C&rsquo;mon, guys! C&rsquo;mon!&rdquo; Rivers implored in the huddle. &ldquo;Listen, it&rsquo;s up to y&rsquo;all what you all want to do.&ldquo;
How about finally decide the game.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris had 20 apiece, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Embiid, the two-time NBA scoring champion, was quiet offensively, going 6 of 11 from the floor, but he did just about everything else. The MVP finalist had 19 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
Harris had 12 rebounds. James Harden scored only eight points on 3-of-13 shooting for the Sixers after a sensational Game 1 effort.
Game 3 is Thursday in New York.
Cam Johnson led the Nets with 28 points. Johnson&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1648123998000017409" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sent Embiid stumbling on a one-handed dunk</a>&nbsp;down the right side that posterized the 7-footer. Johnson stared down Embiid as the Nets forward backpedaled on defense in the first half.
That was Brooklyn&rsquo;s last GIF-worthy highlight.
Maybe the 76ers just needed to listen to their coach more as they chase their first NBA championship since 1983.
After Brooklyn scored the first bucket of the second half, Doc Rivers called a quick timeout.
&ldquo;C&rsquo;mon, guys! C&rsquo;mon!&rdquo; Rivers implored in the huddle. &ldquo;Listen, it&rsquo;s up to y&rsquo;all what you all want to do.&ldquo;
How about finally decide the game.
Maxey, who kept the Sixers alive with 15 points in the first half, was stuffed by the rim on a fast break but Harris followed for the bucket and the 76ers finally tied the game at 55-all. Maxey didn&rsquo;t miss on the next possession &mdash; a corner 3 that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Then PJ Tucker missed a 3, grabbed his own rebound, dished to Harden and the Beard buried his first 3 of the game. Harris came right back and connected on a 3 that had him hopping and waving his arms off the court headed into a timeout.
Embiid pumped his fist in the air and exhorted the crowd to get louder with a 64-56 lead.
The Sixers needed the spark after they spiraled from Game 1 dominance to Game 2 disaster in the first half.
No Sixer represented that fall more than Harden. His seven 3s steadied the Sixers in the opener but the aging vet &mdash; who battled left Achilles tendon soreness down the stretch of the regular season &mdash; was overwhelmed in Game 2. He missed 6 of 7 shots in the first half and all four 3-point attempts. Throw in two fouls and five turnovers and it was a marvel the Sixers only trailed 49-44 at the break.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris had 20 apiece, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Embiid, the two-time NBA scoring champion, was quiet offensively, going 6 of 11 from the floor, but he did just about everything else. The MVP finalist had 19 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.
Harris had 12 rebounds. James Harden scored only eight points on 3-of-13 shooting for the Sixers after a sensational Game 1 effort.
Game 3 is Thursday in New York.
Cam Johnson led the Nets with 28 points. Johnson&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1648123998000017409" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sent Embiid stumbling on a one-handed dunk</a>&nbsp;down the right side that posterized the 7-footer. Johnson stared down Embiid as the Nets forward backpedaled on defense in the first half.
That was Brooklyn&rsquo;s last GIF-worthy highlight.
Maybe the 76ers just needed to listen to their coach more as they chase their first NBA championship since 1983.
After Brooklyn scored the first bucket of the second half, Doc Rivers called a quick timeout.
&ldquo;C&rsquo;mon, guys! C&rsquo;mon!&rdquo; Rivers implored in the huddle. &ldquo;Listen, it&rsquo;s up to y&rsquo;all what you all want to do.&ldquo;
How about finally decide the game.
Maxey, who kept the Sixers alive with 15 points in the first half, was stuffed by the rim on a fast break but Harris followed for the bucket and the 76ers finally tied the game at 55-all. Maxey didn&rsquo;t miss on the next possession &mdash; a corner 3 that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Then PJ Tucker missed a 3, grabbed his own rebound, dished to Harden and the Beard buried his first 3 of the game. Harris came right back and connected on a 3 that had him hopping and waving his arms off the court headed into a timeout.
Embiid pumped his fist in the air and exhorted the crowd to get louder with a 64-56 lead.
The Sixers needed the spark after they spiraled from Game 1 dominance to Game 2 disaster in the first half.
No Sixer represented that fall more than Harden. His seven 3s steadied the Sixers in the opener but the aging vet &mdash; who battled left Achilles tendon soreness down the stretch of the regular season &mdash; was overwhelmed in Game 2. He missed 6 of 7 shots in the first half and all four 3-point attempts. Throw in two fouls and five turnovers and it was a marvel the Sixers only trailed 49-44 at the break.
That had to distress the Nets. Johnson scored 22 points in the half but &mdash; much like in Game 1 &mdash; the Nets got crushed on the boards and in the paint. Embiid scored eight points but grabbed 15 boards, 13 defensive.
Embiid seemed to make up for some offensive frustration with a two-handed jam late in the game that brought the crowd to its feet.
TIP-INS
Nets: Have lost six straight playoff games to the 76ers. ... Mikal Bridges scored 21 points after he had 30 in Game 1.
76ers: Embiid&rsquo;s 15 rebounds were the most by any 76ers player in a playoff half in the last 25 seasons. ... Maxey made 13 of 25 shots.
UP NEXT
The Sixers went 2-0 at Brooklyn this season and 4-0 against the Nets overall.

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.

Maxey, Embiid, Harris power 76ers to 96-84 win over Nets

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden feels more at home in Philly this postseason go-around than he did a year ago when he was still finding his footing after a trade. It helps that The Beard knows his role alongside Joel Embiid, has his health &mdash; and his signature step-back is back on point from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s confident in how we play now,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Last year, even when he was playing, it was, am I doing the right thing here?&rdquo;
Harden had all the right moves against the Nets.
Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday.
Tobias Harris added 21 points and the 76ers hit a postseason team-record 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden feels more at home in Philly this postseason go-around than he did a year ago when he was still finding his footing after a trade. It helps that The Beard knows his role alongside Joel Embiid, has his health &mdash; and his signature step-back is back on point from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s confident in how we play now,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Last year, even when he was playing, it was, am I doing the right thing here?&rdquo;
Harden had all the right moves against the Nets.
Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday.
Tobias Harris added 21 points and the 76ers hit a postseason team-record 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden feels more at home in Philly this postseason go-around than he did a year ago when he was still finding his footing after a trade. It helps that The Beard knows his role alongside Joel Embiid, has his health &mdash; and his signature step-back is back on point from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s confident in how we play now,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Last year, even when he was playing, it was, am I doing the right thing here?&rdquo;
Harden had all the right moves against the Nets.
Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday.
Tobias Harris added 21 points and the 76ers hit a postseason team-record 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001.
The No. 3-seeded 76ers host Game 2 on Monday.
Bridges scored 30 points and helped the Nets at least hang around in the first half.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nets-76ers-irving-durant-harden-nba-playoffs-e9921e98f9940f189c902b42c768041a">Brooklyn&rsquo;s starless roster</a>&nbsp;was no match for Embiid, Harden and a playoff-tested roster expected to make a deep run in the postseason. The Sixers had a sellout crowd of 20,913 in a frenzy from the opening tip, then blew the game open in the fourth.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden feels more at home in Philly this postseason go-around than he did a year ago when he was still finding his footing after a trade. It helps that The Beard knows his role alongside Joel Embiid, has his health &mdash; and his signature step-back is back on point from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s confident in how we play now,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Last year, even when he was playing, it was, am I doing the right thing here?&rdquo;
Harden had all the right moves against the Nets.
Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday.
Tobias Harris added 21 points and the 76ers hit a postseason team-record 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001.
The No. 3-seeded 76ers host Game 2 on Monday.
Bridges scored 30 points and helped the Nets at least hang around in the first half.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nets-76ers-irving-durant-harden-nba-playoffs-e9921e98f9940f189c902b42c768041a">Brooklyn&rsquo;s starless roster</a>&nbsp;was no match for Embiid, Harden and a playoff-tested roster expected to make a deep run in the postseason. The Sixers had a sellout crowd of 20,913 in a frenzy from the opening tip, then blew the game open in the fourth.
Philly got it done even without a vintage effort from Embiid.
Embiid made only 7 of 15 shots (and all 11 free throws) and was flustered at times against double-teams that followed him all over the court. Embiid was&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1647309279739924480" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">smacked in the face</a>&nbsp;on a missed dunk that sent him crashing to the court in an attempt to draw a flagrant foul. Embiid got heated when he had his arm locked up by Royce O&rsquo;Neale and the two briefly tussled.
The off-night from the floor wasn&rsquo;t good enough for Nets coach Jacque Vaughn.
&ldquo;Hopefully, they&rsquo;ll be calling traveling and 3 seconds on the big fella the next game,&rdquo; Vaughn said.
No worries for the Sixers, though. Harden, who topped the league in assists this season, picked up the slack and stuck it to the Nets with his step-back 3s.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t make a layup,&rdquo; the 33-year-old Harden said with a laugh. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s the least of my worries. My legs, my body feels just powerful, feels strong.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden feels more at home in Philly this postseason go-around than he did a year ago when he was still finding his footing after a trade. It helps that The Beard knows his role alongside Joel Embiid, has his health &mdash; and his signature step-back is back on point from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s confident in how we play now,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Last year, even when he was playing, it was, am I doing the right thing here?&rdquo;
Harden had all the right moves against the Nets.
Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday.
Tobias Harris added 21 points and the 76ers hit a postseason team-record 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001.
The No. 3-seeded 76ers host Game 2 on Monday.
Bridges scored 30 points and helped the Nets at least hang around in the first half.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nets-76ers-irving-durant-harden-nba-playoffs-e9921e98f9940f189c902b42c768041a">Brooklyn&rsquo;s starless roster</a>&nbsp;was no match for Embiid, Harden and a playoff-tested roster expected to make a deep run in the postseason. The Sixers had a sellout crowd of 20,913 in a frenzy from the opening tip, then blew the game open in the fourth.
Philly got it done even without a vintage effort from Embiid.
Embiid made only 7 of 15 shots (and all 11 free throws) and was flustered at times against double-teams that followed him all over the court. Embiid was&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1647309279739924480" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">smacked in the face</a>&nbsp;on a missed dunk that sent him crashing to the court in an attempt to draw a flagrant foul. Embiid got heated when he had his arm locked up by Royce O&rsquo;Neale and the two briefly tussled.
The off-night from the floor wasn&rsquo;t good enough for Nets coach Jacque Vaughn.
&ldquo;Hopefully, they&rsquo;ll be calling traveling and 3 seconds on the big fella the next game,&rdquo; Vaughn said.
No worries for the Sixers, though. Harden, who topped the league in assists this season, picked up the slack and stuck it to the Nets with his step-back 3s.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t make a layup,&rdquo; the 33-year-old Harden said with a laugh. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s the least of my worries. My legs, my body feels just powerful, feels strong.&rdquo;
Harden&rsquo;s ineffectiveness around the rim in the first half -- he was 1 of 8 on 2s -- was offset by his 5-of-7 shooting on 3s. He buried two 3s late against his former team in the second quarter that stretched the lead to double digits.
&ldquo;He looked great from 3,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Embiid, the NBA scoring champion, could not impose his will against Brooklyn as he had this season to become an MVP finalist. He only took seven shots in the first half.
Unlike the regular season, when the Sixers were crushed by the non-Embiid minutes, the reserves came through. De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, Jalen McDaniels and Georges Niang all hit 3s -- the 76ers made 13 of 21 in the half -- to keep them in control of Game 1.
Bridges kept Game 1 from becoming an early rout in a homecoming effort.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden feels more at home in Philly this postseason go-around than he did a year ago when he was still finding his footing after a trade. It helps that The Beard knows his role alongside Joel Embiid, has his health &mdash; and his signature step-back is back on point from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s confident in how we play now,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Last year, even when he was playing, it was, am I doing the right thing here?&rdquo;
Harden had all the right moves against the Nets.
Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday.
Tobias Harris added 21 points and the 76ers hit a postseason team-record 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001.
The No. 3-seeded 76ers host Game 2 on Monday.
Bridges scored 30 points and helped the Nets at least hang around in the first half.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nets-76ers-irving-durant-harden-nba-playoffs-e9921e98f9940f189c902b42c768041a">Brooklyn&rsquo;s starless roster</a>&nbsp;was no match for Embiid, Harden and a playoff-tested roster expected to make a deep run in the postseason. The Sixers had a sellout crowd of 20,913 in a frenzy from the opening tip, then blew the game open in the fourth.
Philly got it done even without a vintage effort from Embiid.
Embiid made only 7 of 15 shots (and all 11 free throws) and was flustered at times against double-teams that followed him all over the court. Embiid was&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1647309279739924480" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">smacked in the face</a>&nbsp;on a missed dunk that sent him crashing to the court in an attempt to draw a flagrant foul. Embiid got heated when he had his arm locked up by Royce O&rsquo;Neale and the two briefly tussled.
The off-night from the floor wasn&rsquo;t good enough for Nets coach Jacque Vaughn.
&ldquo;Hopefully, they&rsquo;ll be calling traveling and 3 seconds on the big fella the next game,&rdquo; Vaughn said.
No worries for the Sixers, though. Harden, who topped the league in assists this season, picked up the slack and stuck it to the Nets with his step-back 3s.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t make a layup,&rdquo; the 33-year-old Harden said with a laugh. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s the least of my worries. My legs, my body feels just powerful, feels strong.&rdquo;
Harden&rsquo;s ineffectiveness around the rim in the first half -- he was 1 of 8 on 2s -- was offset by his 5-of-7 shooting on 3s. He buried two 3s late against his former team in the second quarter that stretched the lead to double digits.
&ldquo;He looked great from 3,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Embiid, the NBA scoring champion, could not impose his will against Brooklyn as he had this season to become an MVP finalist. He only took seven shots in the first half.
Unlike the regular season, when the Sixers were crushed by the non-Embiid minutes, the reserves came through. De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, Jalen McDaniels and Georges Niang all hit 3s -- the 76ers made 13 of 21 in the half -- to keep them in control of Game 1.
Bridges kept Game 1 from becoming an early rout in a homecoming effort.
Bridges attended Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia, then played three seasons at Villanova. Bridges helped the Wildcats win two national championship -- the 2016 and 2018 national championship banners hang in the Wells Fargo Center rafters. Bridges seemed he would stay in the area when he was drafted by the 76ers with the No. 10 pick in the 2018 draft.
Then came a pair of embarrassments in rapid succession: Bridges celebrated on draft night with his mom, who worked at the time for the 76ers. The feel-good reunion lasted about 15 minutes and Bridges was traded to Phoenix for Zhaire Smith. Bridges is now a bona fide NBA star while Smith flamed out after only 13 career NBA games.
Philly fans can only imagine Bridges in this lineup.
He made 10 of 16 shots for 23 points in the first half and kept the Nets, who opened the season with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and championship aspirations, within nine at halftime.
&ldquo;It feels good to make some shots,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;d rather miss shots and win. It&rsquo;s whatever.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden feels more at home in Philly this postseason go-around than he did a year ago when he was still finding his footing after a trade. It helps that The Beard knows his role alongside Joel Embiid, has his health &mdash; and his signature step-back is back on point from beyond the arc.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s confident in how we play now,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Last year, even when he was playing, it was, am I doing the right thing here?&rdquo;
Harden had all the right moves against the Nets.
Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday.
Tobias Harris added 21 points and the 76ers hit a postseason team-record 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001.
The No. 3-seeded 76ers host Game 2 on Monday.
Bridges scored 30 points and helped the Nets at least hang around in the first half.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nets-76ers-irving-durant-harden-nba-playoffs-e9921e98f9940f189c902b42c768041a">Brooklyn&rsquo;s starless roster</a>&nbsp;was no match for Embiid, Harden and a playoff-tested roster expected to make a deep run in the postseason. The Sixers had a sellout crowd of 20,913 in a frenzy from the opening tip, then blew the game open in the fourth.
Philly got it done even without a vintage effort from Embiid.
Embiid made only 7 of 15 shots (and all 11 free throws) and was flustered at times against double-teams that followed him all over the court. Embiid was&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1647309279739924480" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">smacked in the face</a>&nbsp;on a missed dunk that sent him crashing to the court in an attempt to draw a flagrant foul. Embiid got heated when he had his arm locked up by Royce O&rsquo;Neale and the two briefly tussled.
The off-night from the floor wasn&rsquo;t good enough for Nets coach Jacque Vaughn.
&ldquo;Hopefully, they&rsquo;ll be calling traveling and 3 seconds on the big fella the next game,&rdquo; Vaughn said.
No worries for the Sixers, though. Harden, who topped the league in assists this season, picked up the slack and stuck it to the Nets with his step-back 3s.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t make a layup,&rdquo; the 33-year-old Harden said with a laugh. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s the least of my worries. My legs, my body feels just powerful, feels strong.&rdquo;
Harden&rsquo;s ineffectiveness around the rim in the first half -- he was 1 of 8 on 2s -- was offset by his 5-of-7 shooting on 3s. He buried two 3s late against his former team in the second quarter that stretched the lead to double digits.
&ldquo;He looked great from 3,&rdquo; Embiid said.
Embiid, the NBA scoring champion, could not impose his will against Brooklyn as he had this season to become an MVP finalist. He only took seven shots in the first half.
Unlike the regular season, when the Sixers were crushed by the non-Embiid minutes, the reserves came through. De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, Jalen McDaniels and Georges Niang all hit 3s -- the 76ers made 13 of 21 in the half -- to keep them in control of Game 1.
Bridges kept Game 1 from becoming an early rout in a homecoming effort.
Bridges attended Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia, then played three seasons at Villanova. Bridges helped the Wildcats win two national championship -- the 2016 and 2018 national championship banners hang in the Wells Fargo Center rafters. Bridges seemed he would stay in the area when he was drafted by the 76ers with the No. 10 pick in the 2018 draft.
Then came a pair of embarrassments in rapid succession: Bridges celebrated on draft night with his mom, who worked at the time for the 76ers. The feel-good reunion lasted about 15 minutes and Bridges was traded to Phoenix for Zhaire Smith. Bridges is now a bona fide NBA star while Smith flamed out after only 13 career NBA games.
Philly fans can only imagine Bridges in this lineup.
He made 10 of 16 shots for 23 points in the first half and kept the Nets, who opened the season with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and championship aspirations, within nine at halftime.
&ldquo;It feels good to make some shots,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;d rather miss shots and win. It&rsquo;s whatever.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Nets: Took 70 shots compared to 89 for the 76ers. ... Lost second-chance points 21-3.
76ers: Eagles coach Nick Sirianni rang the ceremonial bell. ... Backup C Paul Reed scored 11 points. ... The previous high for 3s in a playoff game was 18, which had been done twice.
FAMILY AFFAIR
Brooklyn&rsquo;s Seth Curry scored 10 points in his family reunion against his father-in-law, Rivers.
Rivers said coaching against Curry, who played under his father-in-law with the 76ers before he was traded last season, was &ldquo;awkward.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Talking to my daughter this morning, I just thought she was cold,&rdquo; Rivers said, laughing. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t appreciate the conversation.&rdquo;

The Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory on Saturday.

Harden scores 23 as 76ers cruise past Nets 121-101 in Game 1

Dan Gelston is a writer for The Associated Press.&nbsp;