Braves

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra walked into the postgame interview room, a cup of a celebratory beverage in his hand, took a seat and began explaining how difficult the journey has been for Heat.
The regular season was a struggle. They needed to survive the play-in. They were three minutes away from going home before the playoffs even started, needing a rally just to earn the right to play top-seeded Milwaukee.
All forgotten. They&rsquo;re in the NBA&rsquo;s final four &mdash; getting there as a No. 8 seed.
Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 23 and the Heat are headed back to the Eastern Conference finals after topping the New York Knicks 96-92 in Game 6 on Friday night.
&ldquo;It is really frickin&rsquo; hard to get to the Eastern Conference finals,&rdquo; Spoelstra said.
Maybe for some franchises. Not for Miami. The Heat are headed there for the 10th time overall, the seventh time in the last 13 years and the third time in the past four seasons. They&rsquo;ll play Game 1 at either Boston or Philadelphia on Wednesday; those teams will decide their East semifinal series Sunday.
Max Strus scored 14 points and Kyle Lowry had 11 points and nine assists for the Heat. They&rsquo;re the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to make the conference finals &mdash; joining the Knicks, who pulled it off in 1999.
Jalen Brunson was spectacular for New York, scoring 41 points on 14-for-22 shooting. But his teammates combined for only 51 points &mdash; Julius Randle had 15 and RJ Barrett 11 on 1-for-10 shooting. Josh Hart also had 11 points for the Knicks.
&ldquo;Congratulations to the Heat, to the organization, to the coaching staff, Spo and Pat Riley and all their players,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;They played tough in this series and hats off to them. But I&rsquo;m proud of our guys. There&rsquo;s always disappointment in the end of the season and in the end, there&rsquo;ll be one team standing. ... Proud of the way this team worked all year.&rdquo;
It was dicey at the end, but Miami survived. Gabe Vincent was called for a flagrant-1 against Brunson with just under a minute left, starting a run where the Knicks scored four points in 4.6 seconds.
Brunson made the free throws, Hart added a layup and a 92-86 lead was down to 92-90.
The Knicks got a stop at the other end, but never got a shot off on the next possession. Lowry knocked the ball away for a steal, Butler made two free throws with 14.4 seconds left and the countdown back to the conference finals was on.
&ldquo;It was a battle,&rdquo; Lowry said. &ldquo;A Tom Thibodeau-coached team, they&rsquo;re always going to play hard. ... This was a grind and we found a way.&rdquo;
Miami was whistled for four fouls in the first 2:15 of the fourth quarter, setting the tone for New York to keep getting to the line throughout the final period.
The Knicks tied it early in the third, but missed 10 other field-goal attempts in the second half &mdash; along with two free throws &mdash; that would have pulled New York into a tie or given it the lead.
Brunson had 22 points in the first half, tying his third-most before intermission in any game this season &ndash; and his most ever by halftime of a playoff game. He had 15 in the first quarter when the Knicks came out flying to grab early control.
New York led 14 in the opening quarter, and Miami never led by more than two in the first 24 minutes. But it was Miami with the lead at the half, going up 51-50 by the break in large part because it finally kept New York off the line.
The Knicks made 11 free throws in the first quarter &mdash; the most by any Heat opponent this season and tying the fourth-most against Miami in an opening period over the last decade. But they didn&rsquo;t even get to the line in the final 15:16 of the half.
The score to that point: Knicks 29, Heat 17. The score over the rest of the half: Heat 34, Knicks 21. And the lead never changed hands again.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got guys that just want it,&rdquo; Lowry said.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Brunson and Quentin Grimes played all 48 minutes of Game 5, but that was quickly off the table in Game 6. Grimes sat for 6:41 of the opening half, Brunson for 2:44, though some of that was because he got his third foul with 37.6 seconds left. &hellip; Immanuel Quickley (sprained left ankle) missed his third consecutive game. &hellip; New York finished 53-40, its best record in a season since going 60-34 in 2012-13.
Heat: Victor Oladipo was at the game, on crutches and braced after surgery to repair his torn patellar tendon. &hellip; The Heat had three starters (Vincent, Strus and Butler) all shorter than the Miami Marlins&rsquo; starting pitcher a couple miles away &mdash; rookie Eury Perez, who made his big-league debut, is 6-foot-8. &hellip; Miami had 3-point tries as time expired in each of the first three quarters. They all missed.
CELEB WATCH
Among those at the game: Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel &mdash; even on a rookie minicamp weekend for his team &ndash; and Dallas (and former Knicks) guard Tim Hardaway Jr., whose father&rsquo;s jersey is among those retired by the Heat.

Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 23 and the Heat are headed back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Heat top Knicks 96-92 in Game 6, advance to Conference Finals

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds, a slow-starting LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday night.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell hit five 3-pointers while scoring 21 points for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who remained unbeaten at home in the postseason with a strong defensive effort against the reigning NBA champions.
James didn&rsquo;t take a shot in the first quarter for the first time in his NBA-record 275 playoff appearances, but he warmed up in time to lead several runs in the second and third quarters while Los Angeles pulled away.
Stephen Curry scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins had 16 in a collective stinker for the Warriors, who committed 19 turnovers and never mounted a response to the Lakers on either end in the second half. Golden State went 13 for 44 on 3-pointers &mdash; making just 10 while the game was still competitive &mdash; after hitting 21 in each of the series&rsquo; first two games in San Francisco.
Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.
Davis had an impressive bounce-back game under both baskets after contributing minimally in Game 2, blocking four shots and leading the Lakers&rsquo; latest strong defensive effort. Los Angeles has built its 16-5 run since March 17 on defense, and the Warriors couldn&rsquo;t hit enough shots from the perimeter to counteract their disadvantages in size and athleticism.
Klay Thompson had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors, but the rest of the roster beyond their top three scorers struggled mightily, combining for just 18 points before coach Steve Kerr pulled his starters with 9:11 to play. Draymond Green had two points in 23 minutes while playing with foul trouble.
The Warriors were held under 100 points for only the fifth time in 92 games this season.
The rivals split two games in San Francisco to open the series, with the Warriors earning a 27-point blowout victory in Game 2 after dropping the opener.
But this much-anticipated playoff rematch between generational superstars James and Curry has featured more garbage time than memorable thrills in the past two games. After Lakers coach Darvin Ham sat down his stars before the fourth quarter of Game 2, Kerr pulled the plug while facing a 26-point deficit early in the fourth quarter of Game 3.
James began Game 3 making a clear effort to be a playmaker, but he didn&rsquo;t even take his first shot until 8:02 remained in the first half. He hit a free throw for his first point with 6:32 left, and he subsequently led a rally that pushed the Lakers in front to stay.
JaMychal Green stayed in the Warriors&rsquo; starting lineup even with Kevon Looney available to play in Game 3. Looney missed Game 2 with an illness.
FIGHT ON
James&rsquo; son, Bronny, announced his decision&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/bronny-james-lebron-usc-cad1708433f0af166e241e2001426363">to play at the University of Southern California</a>&nbsp;about two hours before tipoff. The 18-year-old was among the top uncommitted recruits in the nation, and he chose to stay close to home with a loaded Trojans team coming off its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Bronny James, USC hoops coach Andy Enfield and Trojans football coach Lincoln Riley all attended Game 3.
TIP-INS
Warriors: The Los Angeles-born Thompson grew up a Lakers fan in Orange County, and this series is his first chance to play against the 17-time NBA champion franchise in the postseason. His father, Mychal, is the Lakers&rsquo; radio color commentator, and his brother, Trayce, plays for the Dodgers. ... Andre Iguodala has increased his workload and should return to practice next week, Kerr said. The veteran has been out since March 13 after having surgery on his left wrist. He isn&rsquo;t likely to play in this series, but could return later in the postseason. ... Moses Moody got a flagrant foul in the second quarter for tripping Davis while lying on the ground after Davis blocked his shot.
Lakers: James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for fifth place on the NBA&rsquo;s career playoff rebounding list. ... Backup center Mo Bamba missed his third straight game with a left ankle injury. ... Another celebrity-laden sellout crowd gathered for the Lakers&rsquo; longest playoff run in their home arena since 2012. Fans near courtside included Michael B. Jordan, Kim Kardashian, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle, Dustin Hoffman, Nia Long, Adele, Andy Garcia, Kevin Hart and quarterback Bryce Young, the Pasadena native and No. 1 overall pick by Carolina in last month&rsquo;s NFL draft.

The Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 victory over the Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday night.

LeBron James, Lakers rout Warriors 127-97, take 2-1 series lead

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 18 points and 11 rebounds and the Miami Heat showed their experience down the stretch in a 100-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
Caleb Martin scored 18 points and matched his career high with 10 rebounds, and Tyler Herro also scored 18 for the Heat, who moved within 1 1/2 games of the fifth-place Cavs in the Eastern Conference standings.
After 45 up-and-down minutes, the Heat made key plays when it mattered most.
&ldquo;When it gets to the last three of four minutes, because of the experiences we&rsquo;ve had, guys feel comfortable enough to execute under that kind of pressure,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Miami&rsquo;s maturity was the difference.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why they are who they are,&rdquo; he said.
Butler, who has been slowed by injuries for much of the season, hit a short jumper to put the Heat up 98-93 with 1:23 left, and his free throw &mdash; following a huge offensive rebound by Adebayo &mdash; kept the Heat ahead by five with 12 seconds left.
Darius Garland&rsquo;s 3-pointer brought the Cavs within 99-97 with 8.7 seconds remaining. Cleveland fouled Butler with 7.3 seconds left, and he split his free throws, giving Cleveland a chance to tie.
All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell rushed the ball up the floor but his contested 3-pointer at the buzzer was short.
&ldquo;They know who to key in on at that point,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;But I thought (Mitchell) did a great job of creating separation and getting a shot off. I thought we got as good a look as we can at that point.&rdquo;
Butler was most pleased by Miami&rsquo;s defense in the closing minutes.
&ldquo;We still had lapses, but I&rsquo;m glad those lapses did not cost us the game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We got stops down the stretch when we needed to.&rdquo;
Evan Mobley scored 19 points, Mitchell had 16 and Jarrett Allen added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavs, who dropped to 21-6 at home.
Mitchell and Darius Garland were a combined 4 of 19 on 3-pointers.
The NBA&rsquo;s top-rated defensive team, the Cavs came out looking to make everything difficult for the Heat offensively.
Miami had no early answers and started 2 of 10 from the floor with five turnovers in the first five minutes, but Butler scored 11 points in the quarter while helping his teammates settle in.
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&ldquo;We were disjointed at the beginning of the game, and I think Jimmy sensed that and went to work,&rdquo; Spoelstra said.
HEAT CHECK
Miami has been one of the league&rsquo;s steadiest franchises, missing the playoffs just three times since 2008.
It&rsquo;s a model Cleveland would like to follow.
Bickerstaff admires both the Heat&rsquo;s consistency and ability to adapt. He credits Miami president Pat Riley and Spoelstra for leading the way.
&ldquo;They have a philosophy and are flexible enough to change with the times and keep people wanting to be a part of it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They have core values they believe in and then they do a great job of acquiring talent but finding talent in the cracks.
&ldquo;Their best players aren&rsquo;t always No. 1 picks. They have been able to work free agency, G League, later draft picks and turn it into talent because their player development staff is so good.&rdquo;
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TIP-INS
Heat: Butler and Adebayo will likely be named All-Star reserves when the rosters are announced Thursday. Butler has been an All-Star six times, while Adebayo has only been selected once. ... Adebayo has scored in double figures in all 47 games this season, and 63 in a row dating to last season. Only Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have had longer streaks in team history.
Cavaliers: G Ricky Rubio had eight points, five rebounds and five assists in 17 minutes. He&rsquo;s beginning to look more comfortable after returning from knee surgery. ... Kevin Love (back spasms) sat out his fourth consecutive game. ... Mobley was chosen to play in the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars at All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City later this month.
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Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 18 points and the Miami Heat earned a 100-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jimmy Butler scores 23 as Heat hold off Cavaliers 100-97

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Kevin Durant is at least two weeks away from returning to the Brooklyn Nets, though his right knee is improving enough for him to resume some basketball activities this week.
The Nets gave an update Tuesday on Durant&rsquo;s recovery from a sprained ligament in his right knee, saying he was evaluated Monday and was progressing well.
The All-Star forward was examined by Dr. Riley Williams III at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and Williams said Durant is progressing as expected and can begin running and on-court basketball this week.
Durant was injured during a victory in Miami on Jan. 8, when the Heat&rsquo;s Jimmy Butler fell backward into Durant&rsquo;s knee. An MRI exam revealed an isolated sprain in his medial collateral ligament.
The Nets have won two straight after losing their first two games without Durant. They said he will be reassessed again in two weeks, leaving open the possibility he could return before the Feb. 19 All-Star Game.

The Nets gave an update Tuesday on Durant’s recovery from a sprained ligament in his right knee.

Durant’s knee improving, to be evaluated again in 2 weeks

Who is poised to become a free agent next offseason? Here’s a look at the top 40 NBA players who could be available next summer.

2023 NBA Free Agency: Looking ahead to next summer's free-agent class

The 2021 NBA offseason featured blockbuster trades, draft-day surprises and some big-name players changing teams. Those are typically the transactions that garner the most attention, but what were some of the under-the-radar moves that deserve to be highlighted?
Now that most of the free agents have signed and the dust has settled, we asked our writers:
What was your favorite "underrated move" of this offseason?
Jackson Frank: I really liked the Pistons nabbing Kelly Olynyk. A versatile offensive big man to pair with their young guards in Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes is so important. He&rsquo;s going to help facilitate their development and ease some of their creation burden with his pick-and-pops, dribble handoffs and mismatch-hunting in the post. Good, complementary players for young dudes is critical and Olynyk is exactly the former.
Alex Kennedy: Victor Oladipo went from being regarded as one of the top free agents in this class to a complete afterthought. After signing a one-year, minimum deal with the Heat, he's the ultimate low-risk, high-reward addition. If it doesn't work out, Miami can cut him or let him walk. If he gets healthy and has a strong bounce-back season, he'll be a steal. The 29-year-old will need to make an impact in order to ink a more lucrative deal next offseason. Oladipo's days as an All-NBA player are likely over, but he doesn't even need to play at that level in order to drastically outperform this contract. Despite his struggles last year, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 threes and 1.3 steals in 29 games with the Rockets and Pacers. After Oladipo's season-ending quad surgery in May, his surgeon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31489484/miami-heat-victor-oladipo-cleared-full-contact-basketball-november-doctor-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told ESPN</a>, "I was amazed he was playing with what he had. I'm very optimistic that I could clear him in six months, by November." If he was able to put up those numbers on a badly-injured quad that he had no business playing on, he should be able to help the Heat. Miami had an exciting offseason &mdash; from acquiring Kyle Lowry to signing P.J. Tucker to extending Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson &mdash; but re-signing Oladipo at the minimum was another impressive move that could look really smart come playoff time.
Nekias Duncan: I like Isaac Bonga heading to Toronto. There&rsquo;s been a clear emphasis in adding rangy defenders, and Bonga fits the bill while adding a hint of ball skills. I felt like he was a bit buried in Washington, so I&rsquo;m interested to see if he gets more burn.
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Spencer Davies: Patty Mills to the Brooklyn Nets on a two-year, $12 million deal. With Spencer Dinwiddie leaving and no regularly-dependable backup in the backcourt, Mills will bring an edge and depth to Steve Nash&rsquo;s second unit in this go-round. While he may not be the FIBA Patty that everybody loves, Mills will not hesitate to take shots and bury triples when one of James Harden or Kyrie Irving is getting a rest. That&rsquo;s going to make Brooklyn a tough customer from a pace standpoint, as well.
Imman Adan: It&rsquo;s not that the move itself was underrated, but I'm surprised that people are more focused on what the Wizards-Lakers trade means for Los Angeles and for Bradley Beal rather than focusing on how much of a win it is for Washington. John Wall&rsquo;s massive contract was widely considered one of the worst deals in the league, yet they turned him into Russell Westbrook and then turned Westbrook into multiple talented rotation pieces and no behemoth contract. Just a massive win for the Wizards' books.&nbsp;
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Chris Sheridan: That would be Miami signing P.J. Tucker away from Milwaukee. I am a huge fan of guys who kill it on defense, and we saw P.J. do a great job against the Brooklyn Nets in their second-round series when the Bucks came back from being down 3-2. Milwaukee is going to miss that guy. The reason they got him in the first place was to have someone who could guard opposing forwards in the postseason, and there will come a time when the Bucks realize how much they miss him. Both Tucker and Jimmy Butler really get after it on the defensive end, so kudos to Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra and Andy Elisburg for snatching Tucker away from the Bucks in free agency.
Ethan Fuller: I'm a big fan of the Los Angeles Clippers' draft class as a whole. The Clippers went after their favorite prospects, trading up to get uber-athletic Keon Johnson at No. 21 and cerebral playmaker Jason Preston at No. 33. Then, they took a flier on a former five-star player in Brandon Boston Jr. with the No. 51 pick. All three possess immense upside, and the Clippers are deep enough where they don't need any rookie to step into the rotation right away.
Evan Sidery: In terms of overall value, the Phoenix Suns hit a home run re-signing backup point guard Cameron Payne to a three-year, $19 million deal. Compared to other backup facilitators, Payne&rsquo;s annual value fell well below what others have been paid over the last few offseasons. After Phoenix gave Payne a chance to revive his NBA career, the 27-year-old point guard returned the favor by giving the Suns a discount. Payne, who has become a wonderful fit within their system, will continue to play a vital role for the Suns as a key cog to their improved second unit. Payne, Landry Shamet, Cameron Johnson and JaVale McGee will give Phoenix such a strong bench.
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Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Clippers&rsquo; trade for Eric Bledsoe. There may be some pushback on this selection, but hear me out. Yes, Eric Bledsoe has struggled over the last few seasons. Yes, Patrick Beverley is a high-level defender (when healthy) and was an emotional leader for the Clippers. Yes, Rajon Rondo has championship experience and is capable of elevating his game in the postseason. But with this deal, the Clippers lowered this season's luxury-tax payment significantly, opened a needed roster spot and took a reasonable chance on Bledsoe having a bounce-back season. With Kawhi Leonard sidelined for possibly the entire season, Bledsoe offers another playmaker who can attack the basket and defend multiple positions.
Drew Maresca: This one&rsquo;s easy &mdash; Kemba Walker to New York. It flew under the radar given the timing of the move relative to the other major signings, but adding a legitimate point guard who is just <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/an-indepth-breakdown-on-how-and-why-kemba-walker-will-help-the-knicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two years removed from an All-Star selection</a> is a big deal for a team that&rsquo;s been looking for a reliable point guard for (literally) decades. Just two years ago, Walker signed a four-year max contract worth $141 million, so the fact that New York was able to sign him to a two-year, $18 million deal makes the move even more impactful.
Jonathan Concool: P.J. Tucker to the Heat. 100%. I think this also wins because absolutely no one saw this move coming. Tucker, who is coming off his first championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, was expected to remain with the team considering how much he contributed during their postseason run. However, Pat Riley had other plans. The Heat nailed their offseason &mdash; re-signing Duncan Robinson and Jimmy Butler, acquiring Kyle Lowry, and then bringing in more veteran, championship experience in Tucker. Tucker does so many things that don&rsquo;t show up on a box score and he'll be a key contributor for the Heat, who are clearly serious about making another deep playoff run.
Jannelle Moore: My pick for the best underrated move is JaVale McGee joining the Phoenix Suns. The Milwaukee Bucks exposed Phoenix&rsquo;s lack of depth at center. By signing McGee &mdash; a serviceable big with playoff experience and three championships on his resume &mdash; the Suns addressed that need.

Now that most of the free agents have signed and the dust has settled, what were some of the most underrated offseason moves?

NBA Roundtable: Breaking down this offseason's most underrated moves

Nets free agent Spencer Dinwiddie has been fully cleared for all basketball activities, his operating surgeon Dr. Riley Williams says. Dinwiddie recovered from a partial ACL tear in just over five months. 
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1407461929011105797" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Dinwiddie suffered the ACL injury during the beginning of the season but has made a quick recovery, as he gets set to hit the free agent market as one of the top point guards available. Shams Charania added this quote from the Dr. Riley Williams, who performed the surgery, &ldquo;He looks and feels and moves like the pre-injury Spencer Dinwiddie.&rdquo;
Dinwiddie figures to draw a lot of interest once the free agency period begins.

Nets free agent Spencer Dinwiddie is cleared to return to all basketball activities after suffering a torn ACL.

Nets free agent Spencer Dinwiddie (ACL) cleared for basketball activities

Jimmy Butler likes Miami's chances against anybody in a seven-game playoff series.
The Heat showed why Thursday night.
And they showed a little fight, too.
Butler scored 21 points, Bam Adebayo had 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Heat held onto the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 106-94 on Thursday night.
&ldquo;Nobody intimidates us," Butler said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
An all-around outing from Bam lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiamiHEAT</a> over the Sixers! 18 PTS - 12 REB - 8 AST - 46.4 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/6Yj3jNzINk">pic.twitter.com/6Yj3jNzINk</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1393030334661414917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Tyler Herro scored 18 points, Goran Dragic had 15 and Kendrick Nunn added 13. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-kobe-bryant-udonis-haslem-miami-nba-e701f83737ec2b3d9bc5ea5bcc3ac54d">Miami captain Udonis Haslem got his first minutes of the season in the first half, scoring four points and getting ejected with two technical fouls in just under three minutes after going nose-to-nose with Dwight Howard.</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Haslem ejection made Pat Riley sooooo happy <a href="https://t.co/7FovKTTuU4">pic.twitter.com/7FovKTTuU4</a>
&mdash; Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brendan_Tobin/status/1392999607043600388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;That's my favorite moment of the season so far," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;Just excessive passion, competitiveness and anger. Just love it. And that's why we roll with UD. Everybody in that locker room just has great respect and love for him."
Tobias Harris scored 21 points, Shake Milton added 12 and Danny Green had 11 for Philadelphia, which could have wrapped up the East&rsquo;s No. 1 seed with a win. MVP candidate Joel Embiid, who was dealing with the flu earlier in the week, managed only six points on 3-for-9 shooting.
&ldquo;I just didn't think we were ready to play the game tonight," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;You could see it early. Everything hurt us; their man hurt us, their zone hurt us, our defense hurt us. ... They got everything they wanted, moved faster, ran harder. South Beach is very tough."
Philadelphia (47-23) goes home for its final two games of the season, both against Orlando, one Friday and one Sunday. Win either of those, and no matter what Brooklyn or Milwaukee do the rest of the way the 76ers will be the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time since 2001.
&ldquo;Obviously, when you have an opportunity to clinch No. 1, it's an added feel of &lsquo;we've got to do it, we've got to do it' and sometimes you lose sight of what really needs to get done," Harris said. &ldquo;For us, it's just to lock in, play the game ... and get that off our back."
Miami is 39-31, a half-game behind No. 4 Atlanta (40-31) and tied with No. 6 New York. The Hawks hold a tiebreaker over the Heat; the Heat hold a tiebreaker over the Knicks, who kept pace with a win over San Antonio.
This one was never close. Miami led 38-22 in the first quarter, the last of those points coming on Haslem&rsquo;s first basket of the season. He was ejected early in the second after exchanging words with Howard &mdash; not long after he tried to play peacemaker when Embiid and Miami&rsquo;s Trevor Ariza got into a back-and-forth.
&ldquo;A great memory," Haslem said.
Ariza got rolled up on by a tumbling Embiid and hurt his ankle, briefly leaving the game. Ariza took exception to the play but was able to eventually return; they talked it out in a calmer fashion at halftime.
Miami led by 22 in the first half, didn&rsquo;t let the lead fall below 17 in the third and stretched the margin to 26 early in the fourth.
TIP-INS
76ers: Philadelphia was outrebounded 47-30. ... This was only the third game all season in which Philadelphia trailed by 20 or more in the first half. The 76ers trailed Denver by 24 in the first half on March 30, and Milwaukee by 20 on April 22. ... Matisse Thybulle (swelling in left hand) missed his second consecutive game.
Heat: Nunn left in the second half with left calf soreness but will travel with the Heat on Friday. ... Miami finished the regular season 21-15 at home, only the 22nd-best home mark in the team&rsquo;s 33 seasons. ... If Duncan Robinson plays in Miami&rsquo;s final two games, he&rsquo;ll be the first Heat player to appear in every regular-season game in back-to-back seasons. He has appeared in 145 straight, spanning three seasons.
OLADIPO SURGERY
Miami&rsquo;s Victor Oladipo had surgery on his right quadriceps tendon in New York on Thursday.
The Heat haven&rsquo;t released a timetable for his recovery, but Oladipo &mdash; who&rsquo;ll be a free agent this offseason and initially injured the tendon in 2019 &mdash; may need at least six months before he can play again. He appeared in only four games for Miami, who acquired him in a trade-deadline deal with Houston on March 25.
&ldquo;He was looking at every single possible avenue to be able to continue the season without surgery,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;But for his career, it made the absolute most sense to take care of this now. You feel for him. He&rsquo;s where he wanted to be. He could see a great role and how he could really help us on this run. But it&rsquo;s not meant to be for this season.&rdquo;
ROAD WARRIORS
Even with the loss, Philadelphia&rsquo;s road record in this regular season &mdash; 20-16 &mdash; was notable.
It&rsquo;s the best road mark by a 76ers team in the last 18 years. The 2002-03 76ers were 23-18 outside of Philadelphia.
BUTLER&rsquo;S 3-POINTERS
Butler was 4 for 4 from 3-point range, the second-best such game of his career; he was 5 for 5 from beyond the arc for Chicago at Brooklyn on April 8, 2017.
His shooting percentage on 3s for the season rose from .214 to .245.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host Orlando on Friday.
Heat: Visit Milwaukee on Saturday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Jimmy Butler scored 21 points, Bam Adebayo had 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Heat held onto the No. 5 spot in the East with the win.

Jimmy Butler on Heat's win over Sixers: 'Nobody intimidates us'

The NBA is ultimately a pass-fail league. The postseason finishes with a champion, and everyone else fails.
OK, that&rsquo;s a little harsh. Failure is relative, and there are some teams that entered this season with their expectations managed. The Oklahoma City Thunder, for example, are passing the rebuilding test as they figure out what players such as Darius Bazley can do when given a chance. The 20-year-old went for 21 points and 16 rebounds last night against the Lakers, playing against a guy, LeBron James, that Bazley used to watch when he was still in diapers.
But you get the point. The regular season is a journey to the postseason for 20 teams this year instead of 16, and a journey to the lottery for the other 10. Today, we will give out team-by-team trimester grades for the 15 Eastern Conference teams, and we&rsquo;ll circle back tomorrow with the West teams. After the next third of the season is complete, we shall do this again.
So, without further ado&hellip;
PHILADELPHIA 76ers (17-7) &ndash; Doc Rivers has them atop the Eastern Conference and has Joel Embiid at the center of the MVP discussion, and Embiid is taking to social media to scold those who cannot quite comprehend how Ben Simmons is contributing to victories on nights when his box-score line leaves something to be desired. When Embiid has played, the Sixers are 14-4, and he clearly spent a bunch of his pandemic isolation time working on his conditioning. Philly has the NBA&rsquo;s best fourth-quarter offense, outscoring opponents by 112.4 points per 100 possessions. Shake Milton is contributing along with imports Danny Green and Seth Curry, and the Sixers have the league&rsquo;s best home record (11-2).
GRADE A-
MILWAUKEE BUCKS (16-8) &ndash; Let&rsquo;s face it, they spoiled us last season. After 24 games a year ago, they were 21-3. What&rsquo;s important to note with this year&rsquo;s team is that there was going to be a learning curve with Jrue Holiday taking over from Eric Bledsoe at the point, because chemistry takes time to build. Khris Middleton continues to do what Khris Middleton always does. Bobby Portis has been a very good free-agent addition (11 points, 7.4 rebounds), as noted in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-bobby-portis-spark-plug-off-bench-milwaukee-bucks-mike-budenholzer-donte-divincenzo-khris-middleton-dj-augustin">this recent profile by colleague Spencer Davies</a>, and Donte DiVincenzo is doing a bit of everything as a full-time starter, shooting above 40 percent from three-point range.
GRADE: B+
BROOKLYN NETS (14-11) &ndash; Well, they have certainly been intriguing. The James Harden trade may have provided us with the most signature moment of the season, and Kyrie Irving has kept things interesting while being polarizing. The Kevin Durant situation last Friday gave everyone a better idea of how hard the NBA is working to contain the spread of the coronavirus, and although the league&rsquo;s methods can sometimes be maddening and isolating, we are not seeing the number of infections that we were seeing a month ago. A backup big man remains a need, and we shall see beginning tonight if Noah Vonleh is the answer. They are all-in on offense, but we all know that defense wins championships, so Sean Marks&rsquo; roster remains a work in progress.
GRADE: B
BOSTON CELTICS (12-10) &ndash; Danny Ainge has been quiet&hellip; too quiet. And the Celtics have been too mediocre. Part of that is caused by Kemba Walker being unavailable for 13 of the 22 games, and Marcus Smart&rsquo;s injury hurts more than some may realize. In a league where elite on-the-ball defenders are hard to come by, Smart is one of the best in the business. He will be back by the end of the month, and his absence is providing everyone with a longer look at rookie Payton Pritchard. Jayson Tatum remains a stud player, but one has to wonder whether big men Tristan Thompson and Daniel Theis are championship material. Let&rsquo;s not forget that Andre Drummond is on an expiring contract in Cleveland, and Boston might be a perfect fit. Stay tuned.
GRADE: B-
INDIANA PACERS (12-12) &ndash; The acquisition of Caris LeVert did not exactly go as expected, but the Pacers saved the kid&rsquo;s life. He is expected back on the court in March. Myles Turner&rsquo;s broken hand was a setback, but Domantas Sabonis is having his best season statistically and is a lock to be an All-Star, and the Malcolm Brogdon-T.J. McConnell point guard duo may be the East&rsquo;s best. (Both are among the league&rsquo;s Top 15 in assist-to-turnover ratio). There is no official timetable on T.J. Warren&rsquo;s return from surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot. New coach Nate Bjorkgren has had to mix and match lineups, but if all goes well health-wise, he could have his full roster playing together over the final third of the season.
GRADE: C
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/lamelo_2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="798" height="AUTO" />
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (12-13): LaMelo Ball is starting to run away with the Rookie of the Year award, and Michael Jordan&rsquo;s team has quietly won five of seven, a stretch that began with victories over the Pacers, Bucks and Heat. These guys have spent exactly two days over .500, but they seem like a sort of sneaky good team when at full strength (Devonte&rsquo; Graham is currently out, and Cody Zeller has missed half of their games.) Sixth place in the conference is not a bad place to be, and let&rsquo;s see what a full season of Gordon Hayward acclimating to his teammates leads to. Lest we forget, it&rsquo;s still somewhat early in the season.
GRADE: C+
ATLANTA HAWKS: (11-12): Trae Young is an All-Star and Clint Capela is leading the league in rebounding, and you can&rsquo;t help but wonder what that record might look like if Bogdan Bogdanovic had not fractured his knee. They have seven guys averaging double figures in points, and come playoff time, Danilo Gallinari and Rajon Rondo will provide them with what they&rsquo;ve been missing in seasons past. They are the East&rsquo;s biggest sleeper team.
GRADE: C+
TORONTO RAPTORS (11-13): Nick Nurse&rsquo;s ejection last night gave him the league-lead among coaches in technical fouls, and Kyle Lowry leads the league in flagrant fouls. So, that&rsquo;s really not a bunch of great stuff to write home about from Tampa. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam have had their moments, as has Chris Boucher, and they are working their way back from a 2-8 start with wins in four of their past five games. They get a lot of sympathy points here for playing an entire season on the road, for all intents and purposes. But sympathy points mean nothing in the standings.
GRADE: C-
NEW YORK KNICKS (11-14): Tonight, we get to see whether Derrick Rose reuniting with Tom Thibodeau is the secret sauce, and the roster is a work in progress as we discussed yesterday in exploring <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-jj-redick-trade-rumors-david-griffin-new-orleans-pelicans-frank-ntilikina-ignas-brazdeikis-new-york-knicks-tom-thibodeau-derrick-rose-ny-playoffs">the possibility of a J.J. Redick acquisition</a>. After 25 games a season ago, they were 5-20 and beginning the Mike Miller era, back when Leon Rose was still an agent and Thibs was wondering where his next paycheck would come from. This particular rebuild should allow for a playoff spot that ends a seven-year drought, and progress at MSG will take years, not months. Their cap flexibility going forward is huge.
GRADE: B-
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (10-15): Getting Jarrett Allen from the Nets gives them a third young player to build around, joining Darius Garland and Collin Sexton (AKA the NBA&rsquo;s speediest backcourt). Can they get anything out of Kevin Love, either on the court or in the trade market? That is a major question. They have (what one would think is) a solid trade asset in Andre Drummond, although we were saying that about the Pistons a year ago when they had Drummond and they got very little back for him. It&rsquo;s too harsh to say they are two years away from being two years away, but you get the picture.
GRADE: C
CHICAGO BULLS (9-14): On the bright side, they have the same record as Miami. If you predicted that particular fact in the preseason, please provide MegaMillions advice. Not having Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter and Wendell Carter has crippled them, but Thaddeus Young has stepped up (trade asset at deadline?). Coby White and Patrick Williams are getting trial by fire, and Billy Donovan is figuring out which of the young fellas are keepers moving forward. One would think Tomas Satoransky has some trade value.
GRADE: D+
MIAMI HEAT (9-14): The NBA&rsquo;s biggest mystery team. What the heck happened to the guys who went to the NBA Finals last season? Duncan Robinson and Precious Achiuwa are the only players who have appeared in all 23 games, so you cannot really say that this has been a collective failure. But the &ldquo;next man up&rdquo; thing has not produced anyone who is manning up in a major way, and no matter how miserable you may feel on any given day, Pat Riley has you beat. 
GRADE: D-
ORLANDO MAGIC (9-15): Losing Markelle Fultz two weeks into the season was a kick in the head after they started 6-2, but Fultz then joined Jonathan Isaac on the out-for-the-season list. Over the past two weeks, they have been getting routinely trounced, and their point differential of -7.2 is the East&rsquo;s worst and the second-worst in the entire NBA thanks to the Timberwolves. Nikola Vucevic may still get an All-Star spot, but that is not as much of a lock as it seemed back in mid-January. This was a playoff team last season.
GRADE: D
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (6-15): Russell Westbrook sat out last night&rsquo;s back-to-back, which is frustrating. Basketball players get paid to play basketball, and once upon a time there was a commissioner, David Stern, who insisted that basketball players play basketball. At least these guys have Bradley Beal to make them watchable.
GRADE: D-
DETROIT PISTONS (5-18). The crazy thing is that they beat the Lakers once and almost beat them twice, losing last weekend in a double-overtime game in which the Pistons climbed back from a 17-point deficit. They also defeated the Sixers for one of their five victories, so go figure. It should not go unnoted that rookie Deividas Sirvydis has a PER of -26.69, which Hollinger himself cannot explain.
GRADE: D-

A third of the way into the 2020-21 NBA season, Chris Sheridan breaks down the state of each East team and grades their start.

Grading each NBA team's first trimester: Eastern Conference

James Posey talks to T.J. Ford about his upbringing, the 2003 NBA Draft, getting traded, how a tough season Indiana strengthened their bond and more.

James Posey interviews T.J. Ford about upbringing, career

Here is the latest news on the Top 25 Free Agents in the NBA for the 2014-15 season, as ranked by Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.