Rams

Brendan Malone, whose coaching career spanned six decades, is the recipient of the 2023 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced today.
&ldquo;Brendan Malone has been a name synonymous with NBA success for many decades,&rdquo; said Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers head coach and NBCA president. &ldquo;He's helped develop players and young coaches, and been a multiple NBA champion on Chuck Daly's Detroit coaching staff in 1989 and 1990. Congrats to Coach Malone on this prestigious recognition.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I want to thank the National Basketball Coaches Association for this award,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;Tex Winter was a man I got to know and respect. I also want to thank all of the head coaches that I enjoyed working with during my 29-year career in the NBA, in particular Hubie Brown who brought me into the league; Chuck Daly and our two championships; the Van Gundys, Stan and Jeff, and Don Chaney. Lastly, I want to thank my wife Maureen and our six children for sharing my journey.&rdquo;
Wetting his whistle with a few years of coaching CYO basketball, Malone began his coaching career in 1967 at the legendary Power Memorial Academy in New York City where he won three city championships and three Coach of the Year awards.
He then moved to the college ranks in 1976 as an assistant coach at Fordham, then Yale, and then Syracuse. At Syracuse, the Orange went to the NCAA Tournament four times. Malone was a Syracuse assistant for the first five years of the Big East. He left Syracuse to become head coach at the University of Rhode Island (URI) in 1984.
While at URI in 1986, Hubie Brown recruited Malone to join him as an assistant for the New York Knicks, the beginning of his 29-year NBA career. Malone had three different tours with the Knicks, the most notable of which was the four years with head coach Jeff Van Gundy. From 1996 to 2000, the Knicks went 177-119 with two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, as well as a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals.
Malone was an assistant coach for Stan Van Gundy for five years (2007 to 2012) in Orlando. The Magic won 50-plus games four straight years, went to the Eastern Conference Finals twice, and to the 2009 NBA Finals.
Malone was also an assistant coach for Bob Hill and Rick Pitino in New York, Don Chaney in both Detroit and New York, Isiah Thomas in Indiana, Paul Silas in Cleveland and Stan Van Gundy in Detroit. He was also a scout for the Detroit Pistons.&nbsp;
But it was in Detroit with Chuck Daly that Malone made his name, orchestrating the Jordan Rules defense that helped propel the Pistons to back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.
Malone was the first head coach of the Toronto Raptors in 1995-96 and also served as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for 18 games in 2004-05.
In 27 seasons of NBA coaching, teams that Malone coached went to the playoffs 20 times, to the Conference Finals seven times, and to the NBA Finals four times, winning the title twice. His teams compiled a 1165-1001 record (.538).
Brendan and his son, Michael, who is the head coach of the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets, are the only father-son coaching duo to have both won an NBA championship.
&ldquo;I want to thank the NBCA Selection Committee for acknowledging my father&rsquo;s impact and career in the NBA,&rdquo; Michael Malone said. &ldquo;His work ethic, his love of the game, and his passion for teaching were the foundation of my coaching career. This is a well-deserved honor and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this celebration.&rdquo;
Brendan Malone was enshrined in the New York Catholic High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1993. In 1997, he was inducted into the Basketball Old-Timers of America Hall of Fame (which recognizes and honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to New York City basketball). He is a 2017 enshrinee in the Power Memorial Academy Hall of Fame.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Assistant coaches generally operate behind the scenes and almost never receive enough public recognition for their team&rsquo;s success. However, any head coach will tell you that they are an indispensable part of the team equation,&rdquo; said David Fogel, NBCA Executive Director and General Counsel. &ldquo;Coach Malone&rsquo;s contributions to the accomplishments of his teams are well known inside the NBA and his contributions to the game continue through his son Michael&rsquo;s tremendous success. Congratulations to Brendan on this well-deserved honor.&rdquo;
The NBCA Tex Winter Lifetime Impact Award honors the tremendous achievements and commitment of Hall-of-Famer Tex Winter, who set a standard of innovation, integrity, competitive excellence, loyalty, and tireless promotion of NBA basketball throughout the course of his outstanding NBA coaching career.
The award is selected annually by the NBCA Selection Committee, comprised of some of the most respected coaches and executives in the game, including Rick Adelman, Hubie Brown, Doug Collins, Wayne Embry, Danny Ferry, Mike Fratello, George Karl, Doc Rivers, Rod Thorn and Lenny Wilkens.
This year&rsquo;s nominees included assistant coaches Bob Beyer, Dan Burke, Jeff Bzdelik, Gordon Chiesa, Carroll Dawson, Hank Egan, Jim Eyen, Brian Hill, Jim Lynam, Bob McAdoo, Brendan Suhr and Bob Weiss.
Prior recipients of this award are Ron Adams (2022), Dick Helm (2021), Bill Bertka (2019), Tim Grgurich (2018), Ron Rothstein (2017) and Phil Johnson (2016).

Brendan Malone is the recipient of the 2023 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact award, the NBCA announced today.

Brendan Malone given Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact award

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Keyontae Johnson scored 25 points, Markquis Nowell added 14 points and 10 assists, and No. 14 Kansas State followed a long first-half slump with a big second-half run to beat ninth-ranked Baylor 75-65 on Tuesday night.
Cam Carter added 10 points for the Wildcats (21-7, 9-6 Big 12), who trailed 34-31 at the break before their 18-4 charge gave them control. They coasted from there to a school record-tying seventh win over a ranked team this season.
Keyonte George hit six 3-pointers and scored 23 points for Baylor (20-8, 9-6), which had won seven of its last eight against the Wildcats and three straight in Manhattan. LJ Cryer added four 3s and finished with 16 points.
The game was a rematch for Bears coach Scott Drew and Kansas State counterpart Jerome Tang, who spent 19 years on Drew&rsquo;s bench. And it was every bit as wild as the Wildcats&rsquo; 97-95 overtime win in early January.
NO. 8 TEXAS 72, NO. 23 IOWA STATE 54
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice and Tyrese Hunter each scored 15 points and Texas raced away from Iowa State with a big first half to keep the Longhorns at the top of the Big 12.
Texas (22-6, 11-4) is tied with No. 3 Kansas for first place with three games left in the regular season. The Longhorns haven&rsquo;t won even a share of the league crown since 2008.
Osun Ossunniyi scored 12 points to lead the Cyclones (17-10, 8-7), who beat Texas in their first matchup.
NO. 10 MARQUETTE 73, NO. 19 CREIGHTON 71
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Tyler Kolek&rsquo;s short jump shot gave Marquette the lead with 29 seconds left, and the Golden Eagles took a huge step toward the Big East regular-season title with a win over Creighton.
The Golden Eagles (22-6, 14-3) saw a 10-point lead with eight minutes left evaporate before Kolek came up big during a wild finish before a sellout crowd at CHI Health Center.
Kam Jones led Marquette with 19 points and Kolek and Oso Ighodaro added 18 apiece.
Baylor Scheierman had 18 points to lead the Bluejays (18-10, 12-5). Ryan Nembhard added 16.
NO. 25 TEXAS A&amp;M 68, NO. 11 TENNESSEE 63
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) &mdash; Wade Taylor IV scored 25 points, including four free throws down the stretch, and Texas A&amp;M extended its winning streak to six games.
Julius Marble added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Aggies (21-7, 13-2 Southeastern Conference), who haven&rsquo;t lost since Jan. 21.
It&rsquo;s the fourth loss in five games for the Volunteers (20-8, 9-6), with their only win in this stretch coming in a 68-59 victory over then-No. 1 Alabama on Wednesday.
Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler had 14 points each for Tennessee.
NO. 13 MIAMI 76, VIRGINIA TECH 70
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Norchad Omier had 17 points and 14 rebounds as Miami won its seventh straight.
Nigel Pack added 16 points for the Hurricanes (23-5, 14-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who placed five players in double figures. Isaiah Wong finished with 13 points and Jordan Miller had 11 for Miami, which shot just 42.2% (27 of 64) after leading the ACC at 48.7 percent coming into the game. The Hurricanes helped themselves with 14 offensive rebounds.
Sean Pedulla led Virginia Tech (16-12, 6-11) with 17 points. Hunter Cattoor finished with 15 points for the Hokies, who shot 46.7% (28 of 60).
VILLANOVA 64, NO. 16 XAVIER 63
CINCINNATI (AP) &mdash; Justin Moore scored 25 points to give Villanova its biggest victory under first-year head coach Kyle Neptune.
Cam Whitmore added 11 points for the Wildcats (14-14, 8-9 Big East) who dealt a big blow to the Musketeers&rsquo; Big East title hopes.
Souley Boum led Xavier (20-8, 12-5) with 17 points. Jerome Hunter added 14 and Jack Nunge scored 12.
MICHIGAN STATE 80, NO. 17 INDIANA 65
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Tyson Walker shook off a slow start to score 23 points and lifted Michigan State in its first home game since last week&rsquo;s shootings on campus that killed three students and hospitalized five students.
The Hoosiers (19-9, 10-7) relied heavily on Trayce Jackson-Davis, as usual, and he had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Michigan State&rsquo;s A.J. Hoggard had three turnovers early in the game, then didn&rsquo;t have another turnover and finished with 22 points and five assists. Joey Hauser and Malik Hall each scored 10 points for the Spartans (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten), who have won three of their last four games.
Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 16 and Trey Galloway had 11 points for the Hoosiers.
NO. 22 SAN DIEGO STATE 77, COLORADO STATE 58
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Jaedon LeDee scored 14 points and Matt Bradley scored 10 of his 13 in the first four minutes of the second half for San Diego State, which overwhelmed Colorado State for its fifth straight win.
Bradley, SDSU&rsquo;s leading scorer, appeared to hurt a finger on his left hand and was subbed out during a timeout with 7:47 left and the Aztecs leading 69-48. He returned with 4:55 to go but didn&rsquo;t play the final two minutes.
Micah Parrish added 12 and Lamont Butler and Darrion Trammell had 11 each for SDSU (22-5, 13-2 Mountain West), which solidified its lead in the conference race. The Aztecs have won nine of their last 10 games dating to an 82-76 overtime win at Colorado State on Jan. 18.
John Tonje scored 18 and Isaiah Rivera 15 for the Rams (12-16, 4-11), who have lost seven of nine.&nbsp;

A recap of Tuesday night's action in men's college hoops a battle of top-15 squads in a crucial Big 12 matchup.

No. 14 Kansas State beats No. 9 Baylor with big second half

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid says if he can walk, he can play.
With an injured left foot feeling better, Embiid got to put the hurt on the Detroit Pistons.
Embiid rocked braids and had 36 points and 11 rebounds, James Harden added a second straight triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers routed the Pistons 147-116 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;We didn't want to mess around,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;I wanted to make sure that we were all together and on the same page that it was going to be a three-quarter game.&rdquo;
Harden did his part and finished with 16 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds &mdash; in three quarters.
Embiid returned from a three-game absence with a sore left foot with a new look. But it was the same dominant performance out of last season&rsquo;s NBA scoring champion. Embiid is chasing a second straight scoring crown &mdash; his 33.5 average entering the game was just a tick behind Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic&rsquo;s 34.0 average &mdash; and he&rsquo;s trying to pass Wilt Chamberlain (33.5; 1965-66) for highest season-scoring average in team history.
Embiid might even set the marks in braids.
&ldquo;Just wanted to change things up," he said, laughing.
Two days after Harden also had a triple-double in the 76ers&rsquo; victory at Detroit, the Sixers raced to a 24-point lead in the first half. The Pistons have the worst record in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers have done their part in putting Detroit there. The 76ers beat the Pistons 123-111 on Sunday.
This was only seventh time all season their regular lineup of Embiid, Harden, Tyrese Maxey, PJ Tucker and Tobias Harris started the game. The Sixers won for the 13th time in 16 games.
&ldquo;It's a lineup that we're still evaluating defensively,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Clearly, it's a good offensive lineup. We just haven't seen it a lot. We've had no &lsquo;in-a-rows&rsquo; where they played six, seven, eight, nine in a row.&rdquo;
Saddiq Bey, Jaden Ivey and Rodney McGruder each scored 17 points for the Pistons.
Harden got his triple-double in only <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1613004896894156800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">26 minutes, 2 seconds of playing time</a>, his fastest time at securing that feat.
Maxey hit a 3 for a 38-29 lead in front of the Pistons bench and coach Dwane Casey tossed his hands in the air and called for a timeout.
Whatever was drawn up, it didn&rsquo;t work: Philadelphia came out of the timeout and scored the next 10 points. The 76ers scored 42 points in the third and sat their starters in the fourth.
Some of the final numbers came straight out of a bad pickup game in the park.
The Sixers needed only 11 3-pointers to reach their fifth-highest total since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger. The 76ers scored a whopping 82 points in the paint and shot 61% overall from the floor.
Maxey scored 16 points. Harris had 14 points and was a plus-40 in 27 minutes.
&ldquo;We know how dominant we are. We know how great we can be,&rdquo; Harris said.
GROWING PAINS
The Pistons have won just 11 games in yet another difficult season under Casey.
&ldquo;I can see the growth on a daily, game-to-game basis. but then I have to come in and explain to everybody why we didn&rsquo;t win. and that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s tough,&rdquo; Casey said. "The easy part, the fun part is the daily, in the laboratory, coaching, teaching, film sessions, watching guys grow, listen to questions.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pistons: Isaiah Stewart (left shoulder soreness) was a late scratch. Former 76er Nerlens Noel got the start.
76ers: Harden leads the NBA with five games of at least 15 assists. It&rsquo;s the most for any 76er since Mo Cheeks had five in 1987-88.
&nbsp;

Joel Embiid had 36 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers routed the Detroit Pistons 147-116.

Embiid scores 36 points, Harden has triple-double for 76ers

DETROIT (AP) &mdash; James Harden had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a comfortable 123-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
&ldquo;I hate to you use this example, but when he's playing like this, it's like having a scoring Magic Johnson on the floor,&rdquo; Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;When he runs our team with this kind of pace and he scores and gets assists, we're really good.&rdquo;
Tyrese Maxey added 23 points and Montrezl Harrell scored 20 for the Sixers, who have won four of five.
&ldquo;Our defense was pretty good, we took care of the ball and I think everyone competed hard,&rdquo; Maxey said. &ldquo;Even someone like Paul Reed comes in and gets nine points and eight offensive rebounds. He plays with so much energy that the other team can't keep up.&rdquo;
Killian Hayes scored 25 points for Detroit, which has alternated wins and losses in its last seven games after a six-game losing streak.
&ldquo;That's a team playing for a championship and we shot ourselves in the foot,&rdquo; Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. &ldquo;We had 22 turnovers - the same number we had in the last game against them. We can't give them points like that.&rdquo;
Isaiah Stewart finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Bojan Bogdanovic had 20 points.
&ldquo;Stew is the heart of this team,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;He's not going to be perfect, but you know what you are going to get from him every night.&rdquo;
The Sixers led 71-54 at halftime, thanks to Harrell's 16 points and Harden's 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Harden only needed 27 seconds in the second half to complete his triple-double, setting up Tobias Harris' basket to put Philadelphia up by 19.
Maxey had 11 points in the third to help stay in control. The Sixers outscored the Pistons 29-28 in the quarter to take a 100-82 lead into the fourth.
Detroit narrowed the gap to 116-103 with 3:42 left, Rivers to call a timeout. The Sixers scored the next five points and cruised to the win.
&ldquo;The end showed how deep we are,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;Matisse (Thybulle) had six steals, Paul had eight offensive rebounds, Danuel House Jr. comes in and hit a couple 3s. Our whole room has bought it.&rdquo;
TIP INS
Sixers: Harden became the 27th NBA player to score 24,000 career points, passing the mark on a layup with 6:28 left in the third quarter.
Pistons: Detroit played without two of its three rotation bigs, Jalen Duren (ankle) and Marvin Bagley III (hand). That prevented Casey from his usual tactic to go big with his starting lineup and small with the second unit.
&nbsp;

James Harden had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 123-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Harden's triple-double leads 76ers to easy win over Pistons

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Obi Toppin hit a 3-pointer and Jalen Brunson finished off a three-point play seconds later as the New York Knicks rallied from 12 points down to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 106-104 on Friday night.
Brunson finished with 23 points to lead the Knicks. R.J. Barrett scored 22, while Toppin had 13 of his 17 in the fourth quarter as the Knicks snapped a three-game skid. Julius Randle had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Cam Reddish scored 11 points and Isaiah Hertenstein added eight points and 10 rebounds in extended minutes at center off the bench.
&ldquo;It all starts with playing good defense,&rdquo; Brunson said. &ldquo;Then from there we just had really good movement with the ball and were able to penetrate and get some looks. We needed everyone to do their job and they did.&rdquo;
Toppin was a key figure in the fourth for the Knicks, shooting 5 for 7 &mdash; including three 3s.
&ldquo;The way Obi has been shooting the 3 ... that&rsquo;s a big plus,&rdquo; New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;We talked about getting him into that (offensive) rotation if the opportunity presented itself, and tonight it did.&rdquo;
Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, Tobias Harris had 23 and Montrezl Harrell added 14 for Philadelphia, which has lost two straight. The 76ers shot 13 for 47 on 3s.
Maxey missed a 3-pointer that would have given the 76ers the lead with 29 seconds to go. De&rsquo;Anthony Melton also missed a 3 with 1.2 seconds left.
Philadelphia gave up a double digit lead in the fourth quarter by being outscored 16-5 in a span of 5:30.
&ldquo;They went small and they started switching everything,&rdquo; Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;We stopped attacking. We stopped trusting.&rdquo;
The Knicks started slowly and struggled with turnovers (17) through the first three quarters, but they shot 10 for 18 in the fourth with only four turnovers.
Maxey scored 10 consecutive points in a span of 1:46 in the third quarter to help the 76ers build their lead.
TIP-INS
76ers: After a sluggish start to the season, Rivers now has to try to get his team on track without his two biggest stars &mdash; G James Harden and C Joel Embiid. Harden, the team&rsquo;s leading scorer, will miss approximately one month with a right foot strain and Embiid missed his third consecutive game with a &ldquo;non-Covid-related illness.&rdquo; Rivers said earlier in the week that Embiid had the flu. ... F Danuel House Jr. also missed the game with a non-Covid-related illness. ... G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton replaced Harden in the starting lineup and Harrell again filled in for Embiid.
Knicks: Two days after insisting he wasn't ready to make any lineup changes after a bad loss to Atlanta, Thibodeau plugged in second-year G Quentin Grimes in place of veteran G Evan Fournier against the 76ers. The two ended up splitting time as Grimes played 15:01 and Fournier 14:23. ... F Mitchell Robinson left the game in the second quarter in some discomfort and did not return. Thibodeau had no update on his injury after the game and said they would have more information Saturday.
PLAYING IT SAFE
Embiid has dealt with more than this illness to start the season. His conditioning has not been up to par and that stemmed from a bout with plantar fasciitis that he endured over the summer. But even with Harden out, the 76ers won&rsquo;t rush Embiid back.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re playing the long game with Joel,&rdquo; Rivers said.
Embiid will use the next two days to start to build up his breathing after his nasty flu. Philadelphia will then get him back on the court, but not the big minutes he&rsquo;s used to playing right away.

Obi Toppin hit a 3-pointer and Jalen Brunson finished off a three-point play late as the Knicks rallied to beat the 76ers 106-104.

Brunson, Barrett help Knicks rally to beat 76ers 106-104

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Joel Embiid and James Harden were done with their preseason debuts long before Montrezl Harrell scored the go-ahead basket with 26 seconds left, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat Cleveland 113-112 on Wednesday night in Donovan Mitchell's first game with the Cavaliers.
Embiid had 12 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes before taking a seat after halftime. Harden played 19 minutes and scored nine points, going 3 of 9 from the field but adding five assists.
Tyrese Maxey, who had 20 points in Monday&rsquo;s win over the Nets, continued his good start to the preseason, leading Philadelphia with 21 points in the first half. He went 9 of 11, making all three of his 3-pointers. Harrell, who signed a two-year contract with Philadelphia during the offseason, scored 13 points.
Mitchell scored 16 points in his first game since being traded from Utah, while Darius Garland and Raul Neto each had 12. Dean Wade and Sharife Cooper finished with 11 points apiece.
Cleveland played without second-year big man Evan Mobley, who is expected to be out a couple of weeks with a right ankle sprain suffered this week.
The Cavaliers got an optimistic glimpse of the backcourt tandem of Mitchell with Garland in the first half. Mitchell was 6 of 9 for the game, including 3 of 4 from outside the arc to go with five assists. Garland, meanwhile, made 4 of 7 shots and handed out four assists.
Shake Milton had 12 points for Philadelphia, while De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, picked up from Memphis in a draft night trade, had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
DOC UNDER THE WEATHER
Doc Rivers was absent from the game with an undisclosed illness. Assistant coach Dave Joerger, who has head coaching experience with the Grizzlies and the Kings, ran the club.
PACERS 122; HORNETS 97
Aaron Nesmith scored 16 points, rookie Benedict Mathurin, the No. 6 pick in the draft from Arizona, added 15 and Indiana beat Charlotte. Isaiah Jackson finished with 13 points, while Myles Turner and Chris Duarte contributed 12 points apiece. Mathurin was 5 of 10 from the field, despite missing all four of his 3-pointers over 19 minutes.
Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 18 points and P.J. Washington finished with 13. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 11 points and nine rebounds, while LeMelo Ball scored 12 points and handed out seven assists.
RAPTORS 125; CELTICS 119, OT
Pascal Siakam and Precious Achiuwa scored 13 points apiece and Toronto used an early burst in overtime to beat Boston.
Josh Jackson also had 13 points for the Raptors. Siakam recorded six rebounds and Achiuwa seven boards as the Raptors improved to 2-0 in the preseason.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 23 points and Sam Hauser had 22, connecting on 8 of 12 shots, including 5 of 8 from outside the arc. Jayson Tatum finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, now 1-1 in the preseason.
Payton Pritchard scored 17 points and had five assists
The teams were tied at 110 at the end of regulation after Jeff Dowtin (10 points) converted a 9-footer for the Raptors. Pritchard&rsquo;s 18-footer was off the mark as time in regulation ran out, sending the game to the extra period.
The Raptors outscored the Celtics 11-4 to open overtime and never relinquished the lead.
MAVERICKS 98; THUNDER 96
Jaden Hardy scored 21 points, Christian Wood finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Dallas used a fourth-quarter rally to beat Oklahoma City.
Dwight Powell finished with 13 points and five rebounds for the Mavericks in their opening game of the preseason.
Josh Giddey led the Thunder with 13 points, shooting 6 for 10. Rookie Jalen Williams, the 12th overall pick out of Santa Clara, finished with 10 points.

The 76ers beat Cleveland 113-112 on Wednesday night in Donovan Mitchell's first game with the Cavaliers.

Embiid, Harden help 76ers top Cavs in Mitchell's debut

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2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

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NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

James Harden has averaged at least 15 field goal attempts per game in each of his last 10 regular seasons, encompassing his entire tenure with the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. He's put up at least 12 shots per game in 10 ten postseason appearances since 2013.&nbsp;
So when Harden took just two attempts in the Sixers' Game 6 exit against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, it was jarring to those who watch Harden and those who have followed the drama of the franchise over the past year. After all, it was just one season ago where Ben Simmons' shot selection created a firestorm that ultimately led to February's blockbuster deal.
But this felt different. Harden is one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen. And the performance distracted from the fact that, even in his battle against Father Time, Harden is still one of the most talented floor generals in the world.&nbsp;
His "down" year included 22.0 points, 10.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game spanning a tenuous winter with the Nets and a midseason trade to Philadelphia. He still has the step-back, the strength and the court vision, even as his quick first step appears to be sputtering with age and injuries.
Harden is a game-changer for the 76ers, and it's why he is by far the chief offseason storyline. The 32-year-old holds a player option for next season. He could either opt-in and potentially sign an extension that could pay over $60 million in 2026-27, or decline and test the waters in unrestricted free agency. One more interesting wrinkle: According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, few around the league expect Philly to pony up with that max contract extension:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WindhorstESPN</a> says to pump the brakes on Harden returning to Philadelphia next season with a max deal. "Nobody in the NBA believes that the Sixers are going to give James Harden a max contract.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/vASDx6p0ek">pic.twitter.com/vASDx6p0ek</a>
&mdash; Get Up (@GetUpESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GetUpESPN/status/1525118767511924736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

It's a pivotal summer for Harden and the franchise. Should Philadelphia <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/signing-james-harden-to-a-max-contract-could-cripple-the-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commit upwards of $200 million to a guard showing signs of physical decline who turns 33 next season</a>? Or should the team lower the offer and risk seeing an extremely talented, experienced playmaker (and a great fit with Joel Embiid) walk?
So Harden's contract is item No. 1 on president of basketball operations Daryl Morey's agenda. The next is evaluating which current rotation players are fit for long-term success.&nbsp;
Ten different Sixers averaged 10 or more minutes per game in the playoffs. It often felt like Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didn't know where to look for help outside of Embiid, Harden, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey. DeAndre Jordan, Matisse Thybulle and Georges Niang, among others, frequently drew the ire of fans on social media.&nbsp;
Jordan will hit the open market this summer along with fellow veteran big man Paul Millsap. But Philly doesn't have many other free agency decisions to make; Shake Milton (team option), Myles Powell (restricted) and Harden are the only others to monitor.
The luxury tax hampers the 76ers, who will only have the taxpayer mid-level exception to add free agents unless Harden leaves and opens up some cap space. That MLE is valued at approximately $6.3 million. Maybe Philly locks in a permanent backup center like Thomas Bryant or Chris Boucher? Or perhaps they look for wings, whether it be a shooter like Bryn Forbes or a playmaker such as Kyle Anderson. Either way, it's at least a chance to reel in a rotation-caliber addition.
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The Sixers are also absent from the current NBA Draft picture. They traded their first-rounder to Brooklyn in the James Harden trade (though the Nets can defer that pick to 2023) and their second-rounder is headed to Miami.&nbsp;
If Philly wants to make a serious splash, it'll have to turn to the trade machine. Morey has reasonable pieces at his disposal. Thybulle, for all of his offensive warts, is one of the best wing defenders in the NBA and will make just $4.38 million next season before entering restricted free agency. Niang is set to enter the final year of his current contract and will collect $3.47 million. Harris still has two years left on his massive deal, but the 29-year-old deserves credit for a resurgent playoff effort.
Ultimately, Morey's maneuvering will only do so much for a Sixers roster in need of tweaks and growth. The biggest development might come in the offseason gym with young players who have yet to realize their potential.
Paul Reed emerged as a high-energy bench big in the playoffs, but still has leaps to make away from the boards. Charles Bassey, picked 53rd overall last season, is another athletic center preparing for his opportunity. We're still waiting on 22-year-old Isaiah Joe (non-guaranteed for next season) to round out his flashes of microwave perimeter scoring.
I was a fan of Jaden Springer, last year's No. 28 overall pick, at draft time. Springer averaged 15.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, flying around on defense. But he still has a long way to go as an NBA guard on offense.
If any of these players break through into the full-time rotation next year, that's a major win for the 76ers development system. Trades can only accomplish so much when teams are sending pieces out to make additions. For Philly to take that next step as a championship contender, they'll need to see in-house improvement from Harden, the supporting cast and the young guns.
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James Harden's pending player option highlights a pivotal summer for the 76ers. Ethan Fuller dives in.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Philadelphia 76ers?

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; James Harden scored 31 points, Joel Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Miami Heat 116-108 on Sunday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Heat won the first two games in Miami with Embiid out with a right orbital fracture and mild concussion. The 76ers won Games 3 and 4 at home with Embiid and his mask in the lineup.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Miami.
Embiid is ready. So is Harden. And if the Heat can&rsquo;t figure out those two, the next thing they face could be the offseason.
The Heat pecked away at the lead and got within five until Harden sank his fifth 3-pointer of the game with three minutes left. Harden crushed the Heat on catch-and-shoot 3s and hit one clutch shot after another in the fourth.
He at last played in the postseason like the three-time scoring champion the Sixers needed when they traded for him in February.
Harden drilled a step-back 3 for a 114-103 lead that sent the crowd into a frenzy &mdash; and the Sixers off to Miami with new life.
Jimmy Butler scored 40 points and nearly one-man willed the Heat to victory. The Heat missed 28 of 35 3-pointers.
Embiid worked out the Game 3 cobwebs and returned to the dominant form that earned him season-long &ldquo;MVP!&rdquo; chants from the Philly diehards. His first quarter was about as good as it gets for the center. He made 5 of 6 shots, including a 3-pointer, and scored 15 points to put the Sixers ahead. Worn out in Game 3 from days of inactivity because of the concussion, Embiid played all 12 minutes in the quarter.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s really weathering the storm and getting through stuff,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said before the game.
Harden took over the next quarter. After a scoreless first quarter, Harden scored 13 in the second. He missed his first four shots of the game until he buried a 3 and then got rolling. He scored a bucket in transition during a 15-2 run and then waved his arms toward the crowd, calling on the to get louder.
Philadelphia shot 64% from the floor in the half. But 10 turnovers &mdash; that Miami converted into 13 points &mdash; kept the Sixers from stretching the lead well into double digits. The Sixers made nine 3s in the half to Miami&rsquo;s four.
Butler kept the Heat in the game with six straight points. He hit a layup, was nailed in the face by Embiid &mdash; who was whistled for a flagrant, then helped his former teammate to his feet &mdash; and Butler made the free throw. Butler hit a 3 off the possession and the Heat pulled to 74-70.
Butler drew Embid&rsquo;s third foul with 1:37 left in the third and converted the three-point play that kept the Heat within four. Butler trolled Embiid on Instagram after the Sixers posted a picture of him in the mask and quoted a line from &ldquo;The Dark Knight Rises.&rdquo;
&rdquo;(Expletive) yo mask,&rdquo; Butler wrote.
Butler scored 17 points in the third, yet the Heat still trailed 89-85. The 76ers fans let him have it when Butler fired an airball in the fourth and Harden came right down and nailed a steptback 3 for a 97-85 lead.
TIP-INS
Heat: Dewayne Dedmon (illness) sat out Game 4. ... Lowry, who scored his first bucket of the series on a layup, went to the locker room in the first half with a balky hamstring. He missed four straight playoff games before Game 3 with a strained left hamstring.
76ers: Isaiah Joe (right ankle sprain) did not play.

James Harden's clutch shooting in Game 4 helped Philadelphia even their series against the Miami Heat, 2-2.

Harden, Embiid power 76ers past Heat, even series 2-2

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic flirted with another triple-double with 37 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, helping the Denver Nuggets hold off the Indiana Pacers 125-118 on Wednesday night.
The Nuggets led by as many as 31 points in the second quarter before the Pacers stormed back. Indiana led 102-100 with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter before the Nuggets scored seven straight points to regain control.
Jokic made his first nine shots in the first half and finished 15 of 19 from the field for Denver. He fell one assist shy of his 20th triple-double of the season after getting one Monday night at Charlotte. Bones Hyland scored 20 points and Will Barton added 18 for the Nuggets, who shot 62.5% for the game.
"My frustration is we get bored with success," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;I hate when we get up 31 points early."
Hyland said Malone told the team a win is a win.
&ldquo;We pulled it out," Hyland said. &ldquo;It may have been ugly. We have to clean things up. We could have won the game by a lot of points, but the biggest thing is we came out with a win.'&rdquo;
The Nuggets had 19 turnovers, 11 more than the Pacers.
&ldquo;We had too many turnovers, I had seven of them,&rdquo; Jokic said.
Malone said the important thing is the Nuggets are going back home as the No. 5 seed.
Seven of the nine Pacers who played scored in double figures, led by Buddy Hield with 20 points, Terry Taylor with 18 and Goga Bitadze 17. The Pacers shot 45.4% for the game.
After trailing big early in the first half, Indiana cut the deficit to forge a 91-all tie after three quarters. Indiana shot 62.5% to hold a 38-22 edge in the third quarter.
&ldquo;Give Indiana credit, they got back in the game,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;They turned up the heat, the intensity, the pressure. They became the attacker until the last six or seven minutes. You want guys that are going to fight and not sit there and take it. You want guys that will fight for every inch and I think we have had bunch of guys like that.&rdquo;
With the Nuggets leading 100-98 with 8:41 left in the fourth quarter, Denver&rsquo;s Austin Rivers shoved Lance Stephenson after he felt Stephenson hit him while guarding him. Both players were called for technicals.
Rivers was ejected later after a second technical because he faked throwing an elbow at Stephenson, but didn&rsquo;t make contact. Malone said referee Tony Brothers said it was malicious act by Rivers. Malone said he would talk to the league about the ejection.
The Nuggets shot 68% in the first quarter to take a 43-15 lead. The 28-point margin was the largest by any team in the league after the first quarter this season.
The Pacers were able to trim the deficit to 69-53 at halftime by holding a 38-26 edge in the second quarter.
&ldquo;Obviously a bad start,&rdquo; said Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had 15 points and 12 assists. "The crowd got involved, and that&rsquo;s what got us going. We've just got to figure out how to bottle up that third and fourth quarter and second half and sustain it.&rsquo;
TIP-INS
Nuggets: JaMychal Green missed his second consecutive game with a wrist injury. ... Jamal Murray, who hasn&rsquo;t played this season after ACL surgery, did strength training in the hallway and had a workout on the court before team workouts.
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson remains out. He missed two games because of a concussion. He tried to play March 23 against Sacramento, but left after a short stint with a headache. ... Oshae Brissett missed his second consecutive game with a sore back. However, Duane Washington Jr. returned after missing the past two games with a hip injury.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Hosts Minnesota on Friday.
Pacers: At Boston on Friday.
&nbsp;

Nikola Jokic had 37 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists, helping the Denver Nuggets hold off the Indiana Pacers 125-118.

Jokic has 37 points to lead Nuggets past Pacers 125-118

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists for his 19th triple-double of the season, and the Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Charlotte Hornets 113-109 on Monday night.
Aaron Gordon added 21 points and Will Barton scored 18 for the Nuggets, who earned a split of the season series.
Miles Bridges had 27 points and 11 rebounds and LaMelo Ball added 22 points, 11 assists and six rebounds for Charlotte, which fell to 1-13 in the second night of back-to-backs. The loss dropped the Hornets to ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the idle Brooklyn Nets.
Denver took a 83-74 lead into the fourth quarter and quickly extended it to 13 points. The Hornets battled back to cut the lead to one with 4:07 left behind 3-pointers from Isaiah Thomas, Bridges and Ball and an alley-oop dunk by Bridges.
The Hornets had several chances to tie the game, but shots wouldn't fall.
Monte Morris put the Nuggets up by five with two free throws with 38.8 seconds left before Rozier answered with a 3.
Jokic missed a jumper on Denver's next possession, but got his own rebound and was fouled hard with 8.6 seconds left. He made both shots to make it a two-possession game.
The Hornets couldn't score on their final possession, losing for only the second time in the last eight games.
Denver dominated the offensive boards and finished with 32 second-chance points.
HARRELL EJECTED
Montrezl Harrell and Gordon exchanged words and some light shoves near the end of the third quarter, resulting in Harrell getting two technical fouls and being ejected from the game.
Gordon was assessed one technical foul, but remained in the game.
It started when Harrell appeared to step over Austin Rivers &mdash; who was on the ground after taking a shot to the head &mdash; and then shoved Gordon with one arm, prompting a retaliatory shove from Gordon. The two then had to be separated by teammates and, after a long delay, Harrell was ejected.
TIP INS
Nuggets: Outrebound Charlotte 51-40. ... Morris had 14 points and nine assists.
Hornets: Had 33 assists. ... Bridges and Terry Rozier were a combined 4 of 17 from 3-point range.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: At Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Hornets: At Knicks on Wednesday night.

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists for his 19th triple-double of the season.

Jokic's triple-double lifts Nuggets past Hornets 113-109

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic bounced back from a rare poor shooting performance, scoring 30 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 127-115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
It was his supporting cast's performance that fired up coach Michael Malone, who smiled as he scanned the stat sheet and saw all five starters plus reserves Bones Hyland and Austin Rivers had scored in double figures.
&ldquo;I'm extremely pleased,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;Yes, Nikola is an MVP, but this team with nine games to go, needs everybody to step their game up down the stretch and alleviate some of the pressure that's put on Nikola every night.&rdquo;
Denver had lost four of six, including a 124-104 home loss to the Celtics on Sunday night in which Jokic missed 15 shots and blamed himself for the defeat.
Against the Clippers, he was 9 of 15 from the floor &mdash; he also had two baskets that were waived off &mdash; and sank 12 of 13 free throws. He also pulled down a game-best 14 rebounds for his 59th double-double of the season.
The only thing worse than facing Jokic is facing Jokic coming off a bad game.
&ldquo;For sure,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;He was the MVP last year and has a great chance to win it again this year. We knew he was going to play well. Usually don&rsquo;t play bad two games in a row, so he came out played well, got his team going. That&rsquo;s to be expected.&rdquo;
The Clippers, who got 24 points from Terance Mann, dropped their fourth straight game. They have lost seven of nine overall. Marcus Morris Sr., Isaiah Hartenstein and Robert Covington each added 14 points.
Hyland, Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green scored 16 points apiece for Denver. Monte Morris had 15 and Will Barton 10. Rivers scored 11.
&ldquo;Everybody contributed,&rdquo; Gordon said.
Jokic's tip-in appeared to give the Nuggets a 74-61 halftime lead but a review showed he touched it just a tick after the buzzer went off.
Jokic had a tip-in while being fouled with about six minutes left in the game, but the basket was waived off and the Nuggets got the ball out of bounds, then Will Barton missed a 3.
The Clippers chipped away, cutting a 14-point deficit at one point to 111-109. Morris and Jeff Green responded with back-to-back 3-pointers, and the Nuggets closed on a 16-6 run.
&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t finished games the way we wanted to lately," Clippers guard Reggie Jackson said. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t come up with as many wins as we&rsquo;ve wanted to. But keep your spirits up and understand that we&rsquo;ve put in a lot of work. It&rsquo;s going to continue to show. We&rsquo;re still in a great position. We&rsquo;re going to continue to come out here and play our best basketball at the right time.&rdquo;
Hyland had four clutch 3-pointers, two in the waning minutes of the second quarter that helped Denver take an 11-point lead into the break. He had another that sent the Nuggets into the fourth with a 99-88 advantage and one that made it 107-95 after the Clippers had pulled within six points.
&ldquo;That kid plays with so much energy,&rdquo; Monte Morris said. &ldquo;He's coming into his own, for sure.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Clippers: The Clippers bench and Nuggets big man DeMarcus Cousins were assessed a double-technical foul at 7:39 of the second quarter. Roughly two minutes later, Clippers F Robert Covington was whistled for a technical while Gordon was shooting free throws after getting fouled on a 3-point try. Jokic stepped in and sank the technical foul shot before Gordon sank his third, giving the Nuggets a 55-48 lead.
Nuggets: The Nuggets shot 62% from the field in the first half and made 14 of 15 free throws. ... Malone said F Zeke Nnaji may not play again this season. Nnaji has been dealing with bilateral knee soreness. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know when, or if, he&rsquo;ll be back," Malone said. "I really can&rsquo;t say because I really did not anticipate he&rsquo;d be out this long.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Clippers: Host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.
Nuggets: Host the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.
&nbsp;

Nikola Jokic scored 30 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 127-115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Jokic, Nuggets bounce back with 127-115 win over LA Clippers

With a couple of curses, a primal scream, and a few tears, too, Kevin Garnett helped hoist his No. 5 to the TD Garden rafters on Sunday alongside the 2008 NBA championship banner he helped win after arriving in Boston.
On a day that featured live and video tributes from ex-teammates, former Celtics greats, other NBA A-listers &mdash; and even musician Kenny G &mdash; Garnett became the 24th person in franchise history have is number retired.
None of the previous honorees them had quite the same combination of intensity, hard work and humor that Garnett brought when he joined Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for a New Big Three that ended the longest title drought in franchise history.
&ldquo;Before he got here, we had one of our worst seasons. He was just that injection in the heart that we needed,&rdquo; Pierce, whose No. 34 was retired in 2018, said in the postgame ceremony. &ldquo;You brought a sense of culture to this team that was desperately, desperately needed. You brought Boston pride &mdash; Celtic pride &mdash; back.&rdquo;
Wearing a dark suit and a black turtleneck, with a Ukrainian flag ribbon on his lapel and a Celtics green pocket square, Garnett came onto the court with his daughters and was greeted by former teammate and current broadcaster Brian Scalabrine.
With the championship trophy on a table behind them, Scalabrine asked where Garnett got the passion that propelled him from the fifth overall draft pick out of a Chicago high school to the basketball Hall of Fame.
&ldquo;Nobody tells you how to use your superpower,&rdquo; Garnett said, adding that he watched his mother work hard to raise him. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s in my DNA. I figured it out.&rdquo;
The day also included a reunion with Allen, ending a public feud that began when the sharpshooting guard left the Celtics to sign with the Miami Heat. The two players hugged and were soon joined by Pierce before Garnett shouted into the microphone: &ldquo;Ray&rsquo;s next, damn it!&rdquo;
Garnett played only six seasons in Boston, but they included five of his 15 career All-Star appearances and the 2008 championship &mdash; the 17th for the Celtics. He was the 2004 MVP with Minnesota, where he started and ended his 21-year NBA career.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to see you&rsquo;re a member of this elite club,&rdquo; Hall of Famer Bill Russell told him in a videotaped tribute. &ldquo;I always enjoyed watching you play, and now our jerseys hang together in the rafters.&rdquo;
The Celtics presented Garnett with a piece of the original parquet floor, a custom bottle of tequila, a portrait of him popping his Celtics jersey, and &ldquo;an NFT gift basket.&rdquo; His daughters joined him as he raised the banner to the rafters, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Other tributes came in from Kevin McHale, the Celtics Hall of Famer who was also the Timberwolves general manager who traded Garnett to Boston; the TNT broadcast crew, including Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and Charles Barkley; Danny Ainge, the general manager who built the '08 championship team; and former teammates Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo. (Former Piston Isiah Thomas, who was in the crowd, was booed.)
&ldquo;You changed the culture of the Boston Celtics. You taught us so much about what it takes to win,&rdquo; said ex-Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who is now coaching the Philadelphia 76ers. "Every coach in America &mdash; in the world &mdash; should have a chance to coach a Kevin Garnett, the greatest team player who ever played the game.&rdquo;
During the game, which the Celtics lost 95-92 to the Dallas Mavericks, videos regaled the fans with stories of Garnett's legendary intensity, including the time he challenged teammate Glen &ldquo;Big Baby&rdquo; Davis to arm wrestle.
Kenny G played &ldquo;Loving You&rdquo; on the saxophone. &ldquo;From one KG to another, congratulations,&rdquo; he said.
As fans filed out about an hour after the loss that snapped a five-game winning streak and was the day&rsquo;s only sour note, the arena rang out with the 1970s-era &ldquo;Gino Time&rdquo; video that the Celtics would play when Garnett&rsquo;s Celtics had wrapped up another victory.

With a couple of curses, a primal scream, and a few tears, Kevin Garnett helped hoist his No. 5 to the TD Garden rafters on Sunday.

Tears, swears as Celtics retire Kevin Garnett's No. 5

In case you&rsquo;ve been overly consumed by the NBA, college basketball, or the WNBA off-season, now would be a great time to remind y&rsquo;all that the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers are going on.
And in case you didn&rsquo;t know, the host countries for the 2023 World Cup are Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines &mdash; more on that later.
The last World Cup was right before the 2019-20 season, but feels so long ago because this whole COVID thing hadn&rsquo;t yet clapped us up. If you remember, the 2020 Olympics took place in 2021 &mdash; as in, last year. Yeah, I know, the international stuff can get confusing, but I&rsquo;m here to help you. Trust me.
Now, perhaps quietly to some, international play quickly resumed this past November with the first window of 2023 World Cup qualifying, which we&rsquo;ll recap shortly.
You have four sets of qualifying regions: Africa, Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Europe. There are six windows played over a 15-month span (starting from this past November), where the competing squads normally would participate in two games per window. COVID had other ideas &mdash; more on that later.
Currently, each region has groups of four, and the top three in each group will advance to round two following the June/July window. This current round of qualifying is between Nov. 20-30, Feb. 21-March 1, and June 27-July 5, after which we&rsquo;ll enter round two. Round two also occurs over three windows: August 22-30, Nov. 7-15, and Feb. 20-28, then those who will have qualified will enter group drawing next March, and we&rsquo;ll see them compete between August 25-September 10 &mdash; the World Cup.
Now, let&rsquo;s lay out all the things you should probably know and, if you see a number in parenthesis next to a team that&rsquo;s listed, that&rsquo;s their current world ranking, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/rankingmen">according to FIBA</a>. So if you feel like your people are being misrepresented, leave me alone and take that up with them. (Unless &hellip; unless you mean, you know, actual greater good/societal misrepresentation, then &hellip; let&rsquo;s talk, because me, too.)
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African Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Angola, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia
As they did in 2019, Africa will get five of the final 32 World Cup spots. Though they&rsquo;re hoping for a better result, because none of them advanced past&nbsp;group play. The Groups are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Nigeria (22), Mali (72), Cape Verde (74), Uganda (78),</li>
<li>Group B: Tunisia (28), Cameroon (64), South Sudan (82), Rwanda (84)</li>
<li>Group C: Angola (31), Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire (40), Central African Rep. (75), Guinea (99)</li>
<li>Group D: Senegal (34), Egypt (59), Congo DR (81), Kenya (103)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Africa has a slightly different format. Groups A and C each played three games from Nov. 26-28, the biggest perhaps being Cape Verde&rsquo;s 79-71 upset over Nigeria, which helped move their ranking from No. 100 to No. 74 in the world. Thus, Groups A and C will return in the summer window. Nigeria and Mali are 2-1 and lead Group A, and Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire went 3-0 in November, sitting atop Group C. Groups B and D begin qualifying on Feb. 25 at Dakar Arena in Senegal, which will be three straight days of games through the 27th.
Tunisia&rsquo;s To Lose?: Tunisia went 10-2 in their World Cup qualifying for the 2019 tournament, and is expected to have similar production in group play here. Tunisia won the 2021 AfroBasket this past September, led by tournament MVP Makrem Romdhane, and All-Tournament guard Omar Abada. There&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/african-qualifiers/news/the-african-champions-are-ready-to-soar-in-dakar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also a chance star center Salah Mejri suits up for Tunisia</a>. The 7-foot-2 former Dallas Maverick <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/tunisia/2019.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led Tunisia with 16.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game</a> in their second ever World Cup appearance three years ago.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_Zc8DMv5vc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Biggest What If: Tunisia plays Cameroon on Feb. 25. Cameroon is one of the many wild cards worth keeping tabs on. They still haven&rsquo;t been able to piece together the dream frontcourt of Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who hasn&rsquo;t played since the NBA bubble. <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2017/2/7/14539418/joel-embiid-named-cameroon-preliminary-roster-fiba-afrobasket-2017-luc-mbah-a-moute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embiid came close in 2017</a>, but ultimately didn&rsquo;t play. Obviously, NBA players rarely can compete in these qualifying windows because of, well, them being in the NBA. But if Cameroon could do well enough and qualify, who knows if that&rsquo;ll be enough to lure Embiid and Siakam into international play.
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American Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Argentina (silver medalist), Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, USA, and Venezuela.
The Americas will, again, send seven to the World Cup late next year. The Americas have the standard format across the board, so this window will mark two games for each club. The groups are:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Argentina (7), Venezuela (17), Panama (50), Paraguay (77)</li>
<li>Group B: Brazil (15), Uruguay (41), Colombia (67), Chile (68)</li>
<li>Group C: Canada (18), Dominican Republic (20), U.S. Virgin Islands (54), Bahamas (62)</li>
<li>Group D: U.S.A. (1), Puerto Rico (19), Mexico (24), Cuba (65)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Dominican Republic and Mexico are all 2-0. U.S.A. and Puerto Rico are the only 1-1 teams in the Americas, and will play each other on Tuesday in Washington D.C. Notably, for Team U.S.A., Jim Boylen coached the club in the November window, in which they held off Cuba 95-90, then lost to Mexico in Chihuahua City, 97-88. Although Cuba is 0-2, their star, Jaisel Rivero, is good enough to steal them a game. Rivero put 34 (13-18 shooting) with 9 rebounds and 3 threes on Team USA in their narrow loss. Rivero currently competes with Liga ACB and EuroCup&rsquo;s Valencia Basket in Spain, where he averages 11.1 points (second on team) and 4.9 rebounds (third on team) across all competitions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
21 points for <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahthomas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isaiahthomas</a> last night, including 4 made threes, none bigger than this dagger. 👀 Team USA defeated Cuba 95-90 to start 2023 World Cup Qualifiers. They face Mexico tonight. 📹: <a href="https://t.co/nNQDfvcF82">https://t.co/nNQDfvcF82</a> (via FIBA) <a href="https://t.co/dhAUAUVHLy">pic.twitter.com/dhAUAUVHLy</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1465437069073858560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>
Uncle Iso Joe: Among <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualifiers/game/0407/Mexico-USA#|tab=boxscore">the notables who suited up for Team USA in November</a> were Isaiah Thomas, Luke Kornet, Chasson Randle, Haywood Highsmith and Shaquille Harrison, among many other current and former NBA players. Seven-time All-Star and 40-year-old Joe Johnson, who famously was a Boston Celtic briefly earlier this season, is <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualifiers/news/nba-experience-leads-revamped-united-states-roster-for-second-window-of-2023-fiba-world-cup-americas-qualifiers">confirmed to be suiting up with Team USA</a> in this February window. Brian Bowen II is the only player returning from the November window. Other Team U.S.A. members include current G Leaguers Jordan Bell, David Stockton, Langston Galloway and Justin Wright-Foreman, among others.
La Nueva Era de Baloncesto: Both Mexico and Puerto Rico announced new head coaches shortly before the November window. Mexico&rsquo;s led by long-time NBA assistant Kaleb Caneles, while Puerto Rico hired Nelson Colon, who is a three-time champion and Coach of the Year in Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Puerto Rico&rsquo;s top pro basketball league. Former long-time NBA guard Carlos Arroyo was also appointed the <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/news/puerto-rico-appoints-carlos-arroyo-as-its-male-national-team-general-manager#:~:text=Americas-,Puerto%20Rico%20appoints%20Carlos%20Arroyo%20as%20its%20male%20National%20Team,of%20the%20men's%20national%20team.">Puerto Rican National Team&rsquo;s General Manager last June</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Both Puerto Rico and Mexico starting this cycle with new coaches, too: <a href="https://t.co/PCDaPmNumy">https://t.co/PCDaPmNumy</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1465151054278967302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Asia-Oceania Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Australia (finished fourth), China, Iran, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines.
The hosts &ndash; Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia &ndash; typically automatically qualify for the World Cup. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171213161459/http:/www.philstar.com:8080/sports/2017/12/13/1767946/learning-2019-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indonesia&rsquo;s qualification is more provisional</a> due to their lack of international success. Japan and the Philippines are automatically in, but they&rsquo;re all scheduled to participate in World Cup qualifiers anyway.
In the 2019 World Cup, Asia/Oceania sent eight teams over, which they&rsquo;ll do again in 2023. Here are the groups:
<ul>
<li>Group A: New Zealand (27), South Korea (30), Philippines (33), India (80)</li>
<li>Group B: Australia (3), China (29), Japan (37), Chinese Taipei (66)</li>
<li>Group C: Jordan (39), Lebanon (55), Indonesia (91), Saudi Arabia (79)</li>
<li>Group D: Iran (23),&nbsp;Kazakhstan (70), Syria (85), Bahrain (104)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Due to travel restrictions (COVID), <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/asian-qualifiers/news/update-to-the-fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-asian-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several games had to be canceled</a>, so while the format was originally the same as the Americas, it came with some modifications. No one in Group A has played yet, so they&rsquo;ll each play four games to compensate, all of which will take place between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28. In Group B, only China and Japan were able to play, and China smacked them twice, 79-63, and 106-73. Australia and Chinese Taipei are each scheduled to play three times between Feb. 25 and Feb. 28. Japan will play twice in this window, once against each of them, and China will return for four games in the third window to end round one.
Medal Momentum: This will mark the first we see of Australia since finally winning their first medal at the 2020 Olympics (that were played in 2021). Australia had lost the bronze medal game in the 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2016 Olympics before finally medaling in their fifth attempt. In their history, they&rsquo;ve never had a better World Cup finish than in 2019, where they lost in &hellip; another bronze medal game. Perhaps Australia is really turning a corner now. &nbsp;
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🥉 HISTORY MADE 🥉 The Boomers have done it- Australia have secured their first ever men&rsquo;s basketball Olympic medal! The bronze is coming home! 💚💛<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/ngxiYRwHdk">pic.twitter.com/ngxiYRwHdk</a>
&mdash; Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/1423988352987013120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a>
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European Region&nbsp;
2019 WC qualifiers: Czech Republic, France (bronze medalist), Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain (gold medalist), Turkey.
Europe is the largest region of basketball playing powers here, so their rules are slightly different. Instead of four groups, there are eight. As a result, they&rsquo;ll get 12 World Cup bids.
Here are the groups:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Serbia (6), Latvia (26), Belgium (36), Slovakia (63)</li>
<li>Group B: Greece (10), Turkey (16), Great Britain (44), Belarus (48)</li>
<li>Group C: Slovenia (4), Croatia (21), Finland (35), Sweden (51)</li>
<li>Group D: Germany (11), Poland (13), Israel (42), Estonia (49)</li>
<li>Group E: France (5), Montenegro (25), Hungary (43), Portugal (58)</li>
<li>Group F: Lithuania (8), Czech Republic (12), Bosnia (45), Bulgaria (53)</li>
<li>Group G: Spain (2), Ukraine (32), Georgia (38), North Macedonia (52)</li>
<li>Group H: Italy (9), Russia (14), Netherlands (47), Iceland (46)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Everyone here was able to play two games in November. Your 2-0 teams are as follows: Belgium, Slovenia, Israel, France, Lithuania, Bosnia, Spain and Russia. Your 0-2 teams are Netherlands, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia. Czech Republic was a story from the 2019 World Cup. They shockingly punched above their weight and reached the quarterfinals. Czech Republic, led by Tom&aacute;&scaron; Satoransky, finished sixth, one spot above Team U.S.A. But, so far, they haven&rsquo;t won a game in 2023 qualifying. Czech Republic lost to Bosnia 97-90 and Lithuania 74-66. They should have a breakthrough against Bulgaria on the 24th, but it&rsquo;ll be difficult to set themselves up for a repeat of 2019, which was their first World Cup bid.
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The State of Spain: After winning the 2019 World Cup with an incredibly stacked team, including tournament MVP Ricky Rubio, captain Rudy Fern&aacute;ndez, Marc Gasol and Willy Hernang&oacute;mez, Spain was knocked out of the Olympic quarterfinals by the United States. Their Olympic team featured many of their same heavy-hitters, including even Pau Gasol, who retired in October and is now a member of the International Olympic Committee. Like the United States, many of the players you&rsquo;d expect to see on their World Cup roster <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers/team/Spain#|tab=roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likely won&rsquo;t participate much until then</a>. Even so, expect them to continue reigning as one of the top teams in the world. We could talk about the age factor around this time next year, perhaps.
The Sleeping Giant: Slovenia famously jumped 12 spots after their debut Olympic performance, largely led by Luka Dončić, accompanied by standout pro teammates Mike Tobey, Zoran (Goran&rsquo;s brother) Dragić,&nbsp;and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlatko_%C4%8Can%C4%8Dar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vlatko Čančar</a>. Slovenia finished fourth, losing to Australia in the bronze medal game. They didn&rsquo;t qualify for the 2019 World Cup, but did win the 2017 EuroBasket, in which Goran won MVP and Luka, at 18 years old, was named to the All-Tournament team. (Anthony Randolph played for the Slovenian team, then. Who knew?!?) Dragić and Tobey are <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers/team/Slovenia#|tab=roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed on the roster for this window</a>. Look for them to continue raising hell in qualifiers, and if Dončić suits up, in the World Cup, too.
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For even more World Cup info and complete schedules, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go here</a>.
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Bryan Fonseca gives an overview of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Things to monitor as FIBA World Cup’s next qualifying window arrives

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, including a driving layup with 26.4 seconds left in overtime that put Philadelphia ahead for good, and the 76ers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-119 without Joel Embiid on Monday night.
Tobias Harris added 31 points and Andrew Drummond had 16 points and 23 rebounds for Philadelphia, which won its fifth game in a row and 15th in the last 18. The 76ers improved to 4-8 without Embiid, who sat out for rest.
Ja Morant scored 37 points and Desmond Bane had a career-high 34 for Memphis.
Neither team led by more than four in a back-and-forth and exciting fourth quarter and overtime.
Maxey’s driving layup put Philadelphia in front 120-119. The 76ers packed the lane as Morant tried to reclaim the lead with a drive on the ensuing possession, and the Memphis star kicked it out to Ziaire Williams, whose corner 3-pointer rimmed out. Matisse Thybulle grabbed the rebound and passed ahead to Maxey, who finished the scoring with a layup.
Morant reached 30 points for the seventh straight game. Before Embiid’s absence was announced earlier in the day, the game looked to be a matchup of two of the NBA's top stars.
Embiid rested after a scintillating streak of 21 straight games played in which he raised his MVP profile. The 76ers big man averaged 33.1 points during the stretch to up his season scoring average to 29.1 points per game, which ranked second in the league behind Kevin Durant’s 29.3 points entering Monday.
Selected as a starter for his fifth straight All-Star Game last week, Embiid was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday. Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said the rest day was prearranged by the team’s medical staff.
“They thought it was the right day,” Rivers said.
After finishing second in MVP voting last season, Embiid has spoken publicly about the slight he has felt the last two seasons by individual award selectors knocking him down their list because of his absences — he played just 51 games in each of the last two seasons — and has made it a priority to be more reliable this season.
Monday marked Embiid’s 12th missed game, nine of which he missed due to health and safety protocols. The big man missed a thriller in a game that was tight throughout the fourth quarter.
Morant raced down the floor, scored on a floater with 8.1 seconds left in regulation and was fouled by Drummond. Rivers challenged the call, but it was unsuccessful. Morant missed the free throw, though, keeping the game tied at 111, and Seth Curry’s baseline jumper at the regulation buzzer rimmed out, sending the game to overtime. Rivers was assessed a technical for arguing that a foul should have been called.
Morant put on an exciting show in the third quarter, dazzling with shifty moves, awe-inspiring leaping ability and magician-like passing. He twice zoomed past Drummond with stop-on-the-dime change of direction on consecutive layups early in the quarter, assisted Williams’ fast-break layup with a perfectly placed behind-the-back pass and took off like bouncing on a trampoline for a left-handed alley-oop dunk that tied it at 80 with 2:43 left in the period.
The Memphis star, named a Western Conference All-Star starter last week, had the normally tough Philly fans “oohing” and “aahing” in amazement of his moves, and he finished the period with 13 points as the Grizzlies trailed 84-80 entering the fourth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks (left ankle) was sidelined for the 18th time in the last 20 games. He last played on Jan. 8. … Tyus Jones returned to the lineup after a six-game absence due to health and safety protocols. He had four points, two rebounds and two assists.
76ers: Furkan Korkmaz (left knee soreness) sat out after getting injured in Saturday’s game. … Shake Milton (back) missed his 14th game in a row.
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Coach Taylor Jenkins graduated from nearby University of Pennsylvania and reminisced about attending 76ers games in the mid-2000s as an undergraduate. “Great times here, saw a lot of great matchups here,” he said. “The energy in this building, the fans are so unique, the passion they have here. I go down memory lane every time I come back to the city.” ... Memphis fell to 16-9 on the road.
76ers: Isaiah Joe had a pair of four-point plays in the first half. … Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith sat courtside, as did former Eagles WR Freddie Mitchell. … The 76ers improved to 14-10 at home.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
76ers: Finish a five-game homestand Wednesday night against Washington.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Memphis Grizzlies in OT, 122-119.

Maxey leads 76ers past Grizzlies 122-119 in OT minus Embiid

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid had 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, reaching the triple-double to the tune of “MVP!” chants in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 133-113 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
Furkan Korkmaz scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe had 18 points for the Sixers.
Garrison Matthews led the Rockets with 23 points.
The Sixers were slow to shake off a sub-.500 team — a familiar situation this season — and needed a 41-29 third-quarter to put some distance between themselves and the Rockets, the worst team in the Western Conference.
The Rockets played without guard Kevin Porter Jr. and forward Christian Wood after they were each suspended one game for bad behavior. Porter and Wood both had meltdowns in a loss Saturday to Denver. Rockets coach Stephen Silas said it was “best for our culture” to sit the duo for a game.
Embiid was unstoppable, rocking the arena early with a Euro-step, one-handed jam that shook the arena. Embiid walked to midcourt with his arms extended and soaked in the cheers.
Embiid, who scored 30 points for a fourth straight game, played the entire first quarter and carried the Sixers to a 34-30 lead. Korkmaz, making only his eighth start, stepped in as the able sidekick and hit three 3-pointers. Korkmaz subbed for Tyrese Maxey who, along with Matisse Thybulle, entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.
That left the Sixers without two key contributors.
“There seems to be a perception because you have Joel Embiid, you’re not missing guys,” acting coach Dan Burke said.
The 76ers again played a short-handed team they were expected to beat easily — <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba">FanDuel Sportsbook</a> had them as 13-point favorites — and criticism over recent losses or slim-margin victories against weaker teams <a href="https://www.crossingbroad.com/2021/12/doc-rivers-butts-heads-with-keith-pompey-over-dumbass-question.html">led to a terse exchange</a> from coach Doc Rivers with a reporter after a win against Toronto.
Sure enough, the malaise continued and the Sixers trailed 63-62 at halftime. Tobias Harris shot 3 of 10 in the half and mockingly waved his arms toward the crowd for boos in his direction to get louder. When he scored a basket in the fourth that made it 112-96, he backpedaled on defense and appeared to mutter a profanity between the words “don’t clap.” 
TIP-INS
Rockets: G Eric Gordon returned after missing one game with a groin injury. ... Lost their fifth straight road game.
76ers: Burke coached the 76ers for the second straight game with Rivers still in protocols. ... Signed G Charlie Brown Jr. to a 10-day contract. ... Embiid's triple-double was the third of his career.
YOU NEVER KNOW
Burke said all the roster disruptions and game interruptions are making games as hard as ever to prepare for in the NBA.
“Lately, it’s becoming a Forrest Gump box of chocolates,” he said.
UP NEXT
The Rockets play Wednesday at Washington.
The 76ers play Wednesday at Orlando.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Joel Embiid posted his third career triple-double and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Houston Rockets.

Embiid's triple-double powers 76ers past Rockets 133-113

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 16 rebounds, Grayson Allen scored 25 points and hit a key 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, and the Milwaukee Bucks held off the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers 118-109 on Tuesday night.
Bobby Portis added 19 points for the NBA champions, who played a day after celebrating the franchise&rsquo;s first title in 50 years with a trip to visit President Joe Biden at the White House. The Bucks won for just the second time in the last seven.
Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points for the 76ers, who played without four-time All-Star Joel Embiid for the second straight game. Embiid was one of four 76ers out due to the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols, along with Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe.
Seth Curry (left foot contusion) also sat for the 76ers, and Ben Simmons (personal reasons) hasn&rsquo;t played all season.
All of the absences led Philadelphia general manager Daryl Morey to tweet Tuesday afternoon that &ldquo;the hits just keep on comin&rdquo;
But the 76ers left the court in defeat to applause from the normally demanding home crowd, which recognized the strong effort put forth by a Philadelphia team that started Shake Milton, Maxey, Furkan Korkmaz, Paul Reed and Andre Drummond.
Philadelphia took its last lead of the contest on Maxey&rsquo;s bank shot that made it 102-101 with 5:43 left. Consecutive 3-pointers by Portis and Pat Connaughton put the Bucks ahead 107-102, and Allen all but sealed it with a 3 that put the Bucks up 114-107 with 1:30 to play.
The 76ers led by as many as 13 in the opening 24 minutes, when Milton&rsquo;s 3 made it 48-35 with 8:10 left in the second quarter. But the Bucks scored 21 of the next 27 and went in front on Allen&rsquo;s 3 with 2:12 to play before the break.
The Bucks pushed their advantage to eight early in the third on George Hill&rsquo;s follow shot, but Philadelphia didn&rsquo;t wilt. The 76ers went ahead 90-89 on Green&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 1:49 left in the third and finished the period in front 93-91 thanks to Drummond&rsquo;s tip of Maxey&rsquo;s miss with 1.5 ticks remaining.
Drummond had 17 points and 20 rebounds. Milton scored 20 points and Georges Niang chipped in 21.
WHITE HOUSE VISIT
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer talked before the game about how much he enjoyed the Bucks&rsquo; visit to the White House.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an honor, special,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a great day for the organization, our players. Just a very historical place. You can feel it when you&rsquo;re in the building and when you&rsquo;re in the presence of President Biden. (Biden was) very, very kind and generous with us. It&rsquo;s a day all of us will remember. Just feel very honored to have been invited.&rdquo;
TRAINER&rsquo;S ROOM
Bucks: Khris Middleton (health and safety protocols) missed his fifth straight contest. &hellip; Brook Lopez (back soreness) hasn&rsquo;t played since the season opener and Budenholzer didn&rsquo;t have an update when asked about Lopez prior to the contest. &hellip; Donte DiVincenzo (left ankle recovery) hasn&rsquo;t played this season.
76ers: Harris missed his sixth straight contest, but Rivers said before the game that his health is improving. &ldquo;Tobias is doing a lot better,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll say he&rsquo;ll be back sooner than later.&rdquo; &hellip; Thybulle sat for the third straight game and Joe missed his fourth in a row. Rivers wasn&rsquo;t as optimistic about their imminent return.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Improved to 1-1 on season-high, five-game road trip. &hellip; Won their sixth in a row against Philadelphia.
76ers: Reed brought the home fans to their feet with an emphatic block of Antetokounmpo with 4:03 left in the second quarter. &hellip; Maxey had 17 points in the first quarter, making 7 of 9 shots and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. &hellip; &hellip; Hall of Famer and 76ers great Julius &ldquo;Dr. J&rdquo; Erving was in attendance.
UP NEXT
Bucks: At Knicks on Wednesday night.
76ers: Host Toronto on Thursday night.
___
https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP--Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Grayson Allen led the Bucks past the shorthanded 76ers on Tuesday night, 118-109.

Antetokounmpo, Allen lead Bucks past short-handed 76ers

Thanks mainly to the incredible play of MVP-front-runner Stephen Curry, fresh off a 50-burger, the Golden State Warriors have won 9 of their first 10 games this season and propelled themselves to the top of the BasketballNews.com Power Rankings.
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The oldest player in NBA history with 50+ points and 10+ assists in a single game: Stephen Curry.<a href="https://twitter.com/UAbasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UAbasketball</a> || Second Look <a href="https://t.co/QhnO72K6Id">pic.twitter.com/QhnO72K6Id</a>
&mdash; Golden State Warriors (@warriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1457955416617328640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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1. Golden State Warriors (9-1)
In Monday night's blowout victory over the Hawks, Steph Curry reminded everybody why so many folks consider him the best long-range sniper in NBA history. He poured in an NBA season-high 50 points to go along with nine 3-pointers, ten assists and seven rebounds. It was the 35th time in Steph's career he knocked down at least nine treys in a single game. He's already established himself as the greatest shooter of all time. It's no longer up for debate.&nbsp;
2. Philadelphia 76ers (8-3)
On Monday afternoon, the Sixers announced that Joel Embiid entered the NBA's health and safety protocols, which will force him to miss several games. Coach Doc Rivers told reporters that Embiid was "struggling" due to the illness. "It's not going great. Similar to Tobias (Harris)," Rivers said. "It clearly is a concern." In addition to Harris and Embiid, Sixers' Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe are also sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.&nbsp;
3. Miami Heat (7-3)
On Monday night, the Heat began a five-game,West Coast road trip in Denver and got off on the wrong foot, as the Nuggets whipped them 113-96. Miami has a back-to-back vs. the Lakers and Clippers on Wednesday and Thursday, before heading to Utah on Saturday night.
4. Chicago Bulls (7-3)
The Bulls notched arguably their best win of the season Monday night in a lopsided victory over the Nets. Chicago was down 78-76 entering the final frame but went on to score 42 points in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Nets by 25. It was the second-highest fourth-quarter point differential in Bulls franchise history.&nbsp;
5. Utah Jazz (7-3)
The Jazz lost back-to-back games over the weekend, but it should be noted Utah had played six of its past seven games on the road. Looking forward, the Jazz play just five games over the next 11 days, and all five are at home.&nbsp;
6. Brooklyn Nets (7-4)
The Nets had their five-game winning streak snapped Monday night in the Windy City, but Kevin Durant poured in 38 points to raise his league-leading scoring average to 29.5. LaMarcus Aldridge also chipped in 19 points vs. Chicago. He's been terrific for Brooklyn, averaging 14.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 21.3 minutes off the bench over his last six games, while shooting 61.4% from the floor and 50% from downtown.&nbsp;
7. Washington Wizards (7-3)
The Wizards continue to exceed expectations. In their most recent victories, the Wiz clamped down defensively on both the Grizzlies and the defending champion Bucks. After a disappointing season with the Lakers in 2020-21, Montrezl Harrell has been a beast in Washington, averaging 17.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 63.6% from the floor and 82% from the stripe.
8. Phoenix Suns (6-3)
The Suns stumbled out of the gates this season, losing three of their first four contests. However, they are currently riding a five-game winning streak after beating the Sacramento Kings 109-104 on Monday night.
9. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-4)
The Cavs have won four straight and have Cleveland fans extremely excited. The frontcourt combo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen has been downright dominant of late. During the Cavs four-game win streak, Mobley and Allen are averaging a combined 38.0 points, 25.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 blocks.&nbsp;
10. New York Knicks (7-4)
The Knicks secured a much-needed victory over the short-handed Sixers on Monday night. Julius Randle led the way for New York, tallying 31 points, 12 rebounds, five made 3-pointers and three assists. It was the fourth time in his Knicks career that Randle had tallied at least 30 points, ten boards and five made treys, which ties Carmelo Anthony for the most such games in New York franchise history.
11. Dallas Mavericks (7-3)
You know what Luka is going to bring to the table, but Jalen Brunson has been a critical cog in the Mavs' strong play of late. Dallas has won three of their last four games, and during this four-game stretch, Brunson is averaging 21.5 points (on 59.3% shooting), 6.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
12. Denver Nuggets (6-4)
Denver blew out the Heat Monday night thanks to an MVP performance from Nikola Jokic, who racked up 25 points, 15 rebounds and ten assists. However, he was ejected late in the game for shoving Markieff Morris to the court in retaliation for an elbow from Morris. Joker said he "felt bad, really bad" after the altercation. We'll see if the league suspends him.&nbsp;
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35 seconds of Scottie Barnes raising hell on Kevin Durant and James Harden <a href="https://t.co/d8mY8i9cxZ">pic.twitter.com/d8mY8i9cxZ</a>
&mdash; Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1457462048611192835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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13. Toronto Raptors (6-5)
The Raps welcomed back Pascal Siakam (left shoulder surgery) to the lineup last week, where he joined impressive rookie Scottie Barnes. After playing Barnes on Sunday, Nets superstar Kevin Durant walked away impressed. "You've got a lot of guys who love to compete and love to win, but what's more rare about Scottie Barnes is his IQ for the game, his length, his enthusiasm for the game. All of that stuff shines bright when you watch him play," Durant told reporters after the game. "He knows how to play the right way and he's only going to get better."
14. Memphis Grizzlies (6-4)
Ja Morant was at it again Monday night, scoring 33 points to go along with eight dimes and six boards in an inspired comeback over the Wolves. Memphis was down by 16 points with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation, but was able to force overtime and pull out the victory.&nbsp;
15. Los Angeles Lakers (6-5)
The good news is the Lakers were able to pull out a victory over the Hornets in overtime on Monday night. The bad news is Lebron James (abdominal strain) is still without a timeline for his return. Bill Oram of The Athletic reported over the weekend that Lebron could miss between 4-to-8 weeks.&nbsp;
16. Milwaukee Bucks (4-6)
The Bucks have been bad. There's no other way to say it. They've lost five of their past six games, and their one victory in that stretch was over the hapless Pistons. Yet, it's important to note that Milwaukee has been forced to pay without starters Khris Middleton (quarantined due to the NBA's Covid-19 health and safety protocols) and Brook Lopez (sidelined since he injured his back on opening night).&nbsp;
17. Los Angeles Clippers (5-4)
After stumbling out to a 1-4 record to start the 2020-21 campaign, the Clippers have righted the ship by winning four straight games. Between now and December 1st, L.A. plays 11 of their next 13 games at home.&nbsp;
18. Charlotte Hornets (5-7)
The Hornets have dropped five straight, but LaMelo Ball, who exceeded expectations as a rookie, is playing at an elite level despite not yet being old enough to buy a drink legally. Over the Hornets' last six games, Ball is averaging a whopping 23.5 points, 8.0 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 3.0 made three-pointers, while shooting over 48% from the floor, 40.9% from downtown and 95% from the free-throw line.
As an aside, I'm not sure what's more shocking: The fact that LaMelo and Lonzo Ball have been just as good, or even better, than LaVar Ball predicted, or the fact that LaVar has been incredibly quiet and tight-lipped over the past year while his two boys have played so well!
19. Atlanta Hawks (4-7)
The Hawks watched Steph Curry explode for 50 in their loss to the Golden State on Monday night. It was Atlanta's fourth straight defeat and sixth in their last seven contests. Atlanta is now just 1-6 on the road this season and is riding a five-game road losing skid. It doesn't get any easier, as they travel to Utah on Tuesday night.&nbsp;
20. Portland Trail Blazers (5-5)
Damian Lillard snapped out a massive shooting slump this weekend in a victory over the Lakers, scoring 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting. In the Blazers' previous seven contests, he shot just 32% from the floor and 24% from behind the arc.&nbsp;
21. Sacramento Kings (5-6)
Shockingly, Harrison Barnes has been playing the best basketball of his career over the first month of the 2021-22 season. He is averaging 22.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.7 made treys while shooting 49.7% from the floor, 43.5% from downtown and 86.4% from the free-throw stripe.&nbsp;
22. Indiana Pacers (4-7)
The Pacers are finally getting back on track, winning three of their past four games. However, they face a week of tough matchups, starting with trips to Denver and Utah.
23. Boston Celtics (4-6)
Following a brutal collapse to Chicago and Marcus Smart's controversial comments about his star teammates, the Celtics bounced back with victories over the Magic and Heat. This squad remains a tough team to figure out.&nbsp;
24. San Antonio Spurs (3-7)
The Spurs' defense has been solid early on, but their offense has been brutal. San Antonio has yet to win consecutive contests this season.&nbsp;
25. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-6)
This season, the Wolves played seven of their first eight games at home, but won only three of those contests. On Monday, they began a four-game road trip with a loss to the Grizzlies after blowing a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter. Over four days starting Wednesday, the Wolves play the Warriors in the Bay and the Clippers and Lakers in L.A.&nbsp;
26. Orlando Magic (3-8)
Plenty of talented rookies struggle to make their initial transition to the NBA, and that has been the case with No. 5 overall pick Jalen Suggs, who is shooting below 31% from the floor and just 22% from three-point territory. And, on the season, Suggs has as many turnovers (39) as assists.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-6)
OKC has won two straight games and will look to run their streak to three Wednesday night in New Orleans. Newly-minted max player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points apiece in consecutive contests vs. the Lakers and Clippers last week.&nbsp;
28. Houston Rockets (1-9)
The Rockets were hoping Kevin Porter Jr. would take another step forward after his impressive debut season in Houston, but that hasn't been the case. KPJ has been incredibly inefficient, shooting 36.7% from the floor and below 30% from downtown. He is also averaging a whopping 4.5 turnovers per game.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Cade Cunningham pull up 3 over Patty Mills <a href="https://t.co/WoLZKq08dJ">pic.twitter.com/WoLZKq08dJ</a>
&mdash; Hisiah Thomas (@RedAlternates) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedAlternates/status/1456790167130234883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

29. Detroit Pistons (1-8)
After a couple of tough games to start his NBA career, No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham scored a combined 35 points in close losses to the Nets and Sixers last week. This week, Cunningham will take on No. 2 pick Jalen Green in Houston on Wednesday, No. 3 pick Evan Mobley in Cleveland on Friday and No. 5 pick Jalen Suggs in Orlando on Saturday. &nbsp;
30. New Orleans Pelicans (1-10)
We first learned in late September that Zion Williamson underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot early in the offseason. At that time, Pelicans team president David Griffin said the team hoped to have Zion back in time to start the regular season. Yet, here we are in the second week of November, the Pels are already nine games under .500, and we still don't have a timeline on when he might return.&nbsp;

Tommy Beer checks in with an installment of BasketballNews.com's NBA Power Rankings.