Cavs Make History with 13-0 Start, Donovan Mitchell Leads Comeback in Philly

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have etched their name into NBA history, becoming just the sixth team in league history to start a season 13-0. In a thrilling 114-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, the Cavs overcame an eight-point deficit in the third quarter, fueled by a stellar second-half performance from Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell took control of the game, scoring 18 of his 23 points and dishing out four assists after halftime to help Cleveland outscore the Sixers 66-52 in the final two quarters. Mitchell also came one assist shy of a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists. He scored the Cavs’ final 11 points, proving his clutch ability in a crucial win.

Darius Garland was also key to the victory, adding a team-high 25 points, including 15 in the second half, to support Mitchell’s efforts. The Cavs’ dominant second-half performance sealed their perfect start to the season and kept them in elite company. Of the previous five teams to open with 13 straight wins, four made it to the NBA Finals, and all five reached the conference finals.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, was led by rookie Jared McCain, who posted an impressive 34 points, 10 assists, and 6 three-pointers. McCain joined Allen Iverson as the only rookies in Sixers’ history to record 30+ points, 10+ assists, and 5+ 3-pointers in a game.

With their historic start, the Cavaliers are positioning themselves as true contenders this season, joining an exclusive list of teams that have set the bar for dominance in the NBA.

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The 76ers Are Trying To Box Knicks Fans Out Of Game 6

After Knicks fans took over Philidelphia earlier in the series, 76ers fans are fighting back. The Philadelphia 76ers, who are in danger of losing to the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the NBA Playoffs, are making preparations to make the most of their homecourt advantage. In the Sixers’ Game 4 loss to the Knicks, the Sixer’s home arena had a large volume of Knicks fans. The Sixers ownership group has bought 2,000 tickets for tonight’s game to combat Knicks fans infiltrating their home court. The ownership group will reportedly donate those seats to “first responders, health care professionals, and other local Philadelphia-based organizations.”

The 76ers survived Game 5 at Madison Square Garden thanks to some miraculous late-game heroics from Tyrese Maxey. However, the Knicks lost their chance to clinch the series due to crunch-time decision-making. Now, the Knicks look to end the series tonight. However, the Philadelphia 76ers are trying to pull out all the stops. They are trying to do everything possible to give their team the best chance to force a game 7.

Read More: Joel Embiid Called Out For Dirty Flagrant Foul In Game 3 Against The Knicks

Sixers Owners Buy Tickets To Keep Knicks Fans Out

 
 
 
 
 
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In particular, star center Joel Embiid had harsh words for the environment at the Sixers’ Wells Fargo Center following the Sixers’ 97-92 loss on Sunday that dropped them to a 3-1 deficit. “I love our fans. Think it’s unfortunate, and I’m not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously, you got a lot of Knicks fans, and they’re down the road,” Embiid said. “Yeah, it kind of pisses me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They’ve always shown up, and I don’t think that should happen. Yeah, it’s not OK.”

The Sixers season is on the line tonight. The Knicks and 76ers series has been the most entertaining first-round matchup of the NBA playoffs. The drama and quality of every game has been phenomenal. There has been controversy and several memorable moments. The fans have been rising to the occasion, especially Knicks fans and their cohort of celebrity fans. Overall, tonight is a must-win game for the 76ers and a must-watch game for hoop-heads. Hopefully, it will be just as good as every other game in the series.

Read More: Meek Mill Defends Joel Embiid, Threatens To Attend Knicks Game After N.Y. Fans Travel To Philly

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SOURCE SPORTS: Embiid Drops 50 on Knicks in Game 3

Embiid Drops 50 on Knicks in Game 3

After the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 2 loss to the opposing team, Joel Embiid rallied with a remarkable performance. He scored a Playoff career-high 50 points despite battling Bell’s Palsy. His outstanding contribution led the Sixers to a crucial 125-114 win, narrowing the series deficit to 2-1.

In a display of sheer dominance, Embiid’s 50-point performance placed him in rare company. He became only the 33rd player in NBA history to achieve such a feat in a Playoff game. Notably, he joins the elite ranks of Sixers legends Allen Iverson and Billy Cunningham as the third player in franchise history to accomplish this milestone.

What sets Embiid’s performance apart is his exceptional efficiency, making him the first player in Playoff history to score 50 or more points on fewer than 20 shot attempts. His superlative stat line of 13-of-19 from the field, 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 19-of-21 from the free-throw line in just 41 minutes exemplifies his unparalleled skill on the court.

Embiid’s stellar performance was complemented by standout contributions from his teammates, including Tyrese Maxey, who recorded 25 points and seven assists, and Kelly Oubre Jr., who added 15 points and seven rebounds.

Game 4 is on Sunday.

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NBA News: League Confirms Refs Made Multiple Mistakes In Game 2 Of Knicks-Sixers

The playoff matchup between the New York Knicks and the Philidelphia 76ers has been a rollercoaster of emotions, particularly for the Sixers fans. Game two was a nail-biter, featuring one of the most intense and dramatic endings to an NBA playoff game in recent memory. The Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson, staged a miraculous comeback, much to the dismay of the Sixers. The Sixers felt the officials played a crucial part in their defeat. The Knicks emerged victorious with a score of 104-101, setting Madison Square Garden ablaze. 76ers superstar Joel Embiid’s frustration was palpable as he openly criticized the officials post-game.

The 76ers looked like they were going to be able to close out the game against the Knicks easily. The sequence that has caused the Sixers to file an official grievance with the league started with a Brunson 3-pointer. Now up by 3 points, the Sixers have their inbound pass tipped, leading to a Tyrese Maxey turnover, which leads to a missed 3-pointer by Donte DiVincenzo. Divacenzo misses the three, but the Knicks get the rebound, and the Sharpshooter gets another look and drains it. The Knicks went on to win the game, but controversy surrounds the dramatic victory. 

Read More: Jalen Brunson Drops 41 With Coi Leray Courtside, Fans Credit Performance To Rapper’s Presence

Did NBA Officials Cost Sixers Game 2?

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 22: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks goes to the basket against Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 and Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 22, 2024 in New York City. The Knicks won 104-101. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The NBA’s Last two-minute report has validated Joel Embiid and the Sixers’ complaints, shedding light on the crucial referee mistakes that influenced the game’s outcome. The report confirms that officials overlooked an attempt by 76ers coach Nick Nurse to call a timeout. This oversight allowed the sequence at the end of the game to unfold, altering the course of the game. There was also a missed foul call with 27 seconds remaining. Brunson tugged tug Tyrese Maxey’s jersey on the inbound, a move that led to the Knicks gaining possession and, ultimately, the lead. Maxey was also fouled three seconds later by Josh Hart, just before the Sixers guard lost the ball. 

There were officially missed calls at the end of the Sixer’s loss, but they still had opportunities to close out the game. If the Sixers had been able to get the rebound on the first DiVacenzo three-pointer, the game would have been over. Also, before Maxey was fouled, fans pointed out that he had committed an offensive foul. Maxey pushed off of Jalen Brunson before the sequence. The Sixers had their chance. Missed calls happen, but you have to play through them. You can’t expect the refs to bail you out of a jam. Just get the rebound, and the series is tied. 

Read More: Joel Embiid And The Sixers Beat Jimmy Butler And The Heat To Secure Playoff Spot

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Joel Embiid Intends To Return Before The Playoffs

Joel Embiid has announced his intention to return to the Sixers before the end of the regular season. “That’s the plan. Obviously everything has to go right, as far as getting healthy and being as close as I’m supposed to be. But yeah, that’s the plan,” Embiid told reporters in his first media appearance in a month. The reigning MVP had been far and away the MVP frontrunner until he was sidelined with a leg injury.

Furthermore, Embiid was not focused on the lost accolades but the fact that she went down he was red-hot. “That’s why it was extremely disappointing. Because I was on a roll and I felt like I wasn’t even close to where I wanted to be, body-wise and basketball-wise, because I wasn’t at my best, so I felt like there was still another level that I could go to. It was very disappointing. But I was having fun, playing, getting a lot of wins, dominating,” Embiid lamented.

Read More: Joel Embiid & Tyrese Haliburton Are Proof The NBA Rest Rule Is Ruining Basketball

Joel Embiid Injury Has LeBron James Fuming About The Rest Rule And Media Accountability

LeBron lashed out at media members advocating for the NBA rest rule after it was revealed that Joel Embiid had suffered a torn meniscus. “Where are all the media outlets, tv media personalities, hot takes that talked so much 💩 about Joel Embiid about missing those games when he knew what he was dealing with. Now he’s out with an injury because of it. Not 1 person has went back on tv or their dumbass podcast and apologized to that MAN!! No accountability 🗑🗑🗑,” LeBron wrote in a series of posts on X.

Furthermore, external eyes will be on Embiid for the summer. Embiid formally announced that he will be fighting for a place on the American Olympic basketball team. Embiid has been a major target of Team USA in the run-up to the Paris Games. However, the reigning NBA MVP had taken his time choosing between his dual nationalities of American and French. However, Embiid opted for Team USA after a meeting with executive director Grant Hill in Colorado.

Read More: Fans Wish Tyrese Haliburton A Happy “Sixth Birthday”

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SOURCE SPORTS: Joel Embiid Drops 70 Points to Set New 76ers Scoring Record

https://youtu.be/e2VX4U5l8r0

Joel Embiid showed why he is the league MVP. In a dominant performance against the San Antonio Spurs, Embiid dropped 70 points, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s 76ers record of 68 points. The Sixers won 133-123.

“Obviously, Wilt accomplished … everything [in] the history of this league, and basketball in general,” Embiid said.

According to ESPN, Embiid added 18 rebounds and five assists. “I had it going. I mentioned a few times, a lot of teammates are extremely unselfish and they just kept giving me the ball, and I just finished it.”

Before the game, Embiid had the Internet laughing once he stood next to Victor Wembanyama for the first time. That height didn’t impact Embiid, but he added 33 points and seven rebounds.

You can see the highlights below.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Joel Embiid Drops 70 Points to Set New 76ers Scoring Record first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Joel Embiid Drops 70 Points to Set New 76ers Scoring Record appeared first on The Source.

Kelly Oubre Jr Video Shows NBA Star Minutes After Scary Hit-And-Run

A video acquired by TMZ shows a visibly injured Kelly Oubre Jr returning to his apartment moments after being struck by a car outside. The video appears to come from Oubre Jr’s door cam. It shows the Sixers player limping into his home while clutching his side and informing his wife what happened. As previously reported, Oubre Jr was struck by a car near his apartment building on the evening of November 11. He suffered a broken rib and lacerations to his hip after being caught by the car’s side-view mirror.

However, police reported that they could not verify Oubre Jr’s story at this time. According to reports, they have been unable to find surveillance footage of Oubre Jr being hit at the intersection of 15th and Spruce. Despite this, it’s likely due to the fact that Oubre Jr is new to Philadelphia. He joined the Sixers as a free agent this past offseason after two years in Charlotte. As a result, Oubre Jr himself has said that he only relocated to Philly in September. There is no current timetable for Oubre Jr’s return to the Sixers. However, experts and sources believe that he might be out for at least a month. The situation remains a developing story and we’ll have any updates as they emerge.

Read More: Draymond Green Suspended Five Games For Rudy Gobert Chokehold

Sixers Continue On Without Oubre Jr

In their first game since the Oubre Jr’s accident, Tyrese Maxey dropped 50 points, dedicating the feat to Oubre Jr. However, the team has gone 0-2 since then, dropping a second game to the Pacers followed by a loss to the Celtics. Oubre Jr is the team’s fourth-highest scorer, putting up 16.5 points per game. He is also the team’s third-best rebounder and second in steals.

The team plays five of its last seven games of November on the road, with notable fixtures including the Hawks, Timberwolves, Thunder, and Lakers. Furthermore, the team also open December in Boston. Oubre Jr will be re-evaluated this week to try and better determine his recovery timetable. However, in the meantime, the team will have to find a way to continue their strong start to the season without his key contributions.

Read More: Glen Davis Found Guilty In NBA Welfare Fraud Case

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Joel Embiid Claps Back After James Harden Claims Sixers “Kept Him On A Leash”

Joel Embiid disagrees with James Harden’s claim that the Sixers kept the veteran “on a leash”. “I don’t think so. I think he did a lot of great things for us. But in my opinion, we gave him the ball every single possession, because he’s really good. He’s an amazing player. Obviously, being that great of a passer, I think we gave him the ball … we’d give him the ball every single possession to just go out and, you know, do his thing. And from there he had to make decisions as far as getting guys open or looking out for himself. But I thought he did a pretty good job of getting us into an offense and just passing the ball, getting guys open. That’s the reason why he won the assist title last year,” Embiid said after the Sixers’ win against the Raptors.

Furthermore, Embiid’s comments come as a result of Harden’s fiery introductory press conference with the Clippers. Harden said the Sixers kept him “on a leash” and didn’t respect his knowledge of the game. “I think the game and I’m a creator on the court. So if I got a voice to where I can, ‘Hey, Coach, I see this. What you think about this?’ Somebody that trusts me, that believes in me, that understands me. I’m not a system player. I am a system. You know what I mean?” Harden told reporters.

Read More: Joel Embiid Fined $35K For “Obscene” Celebration

Clippers Express Faith In Harden

Meanwhile, the Clippers have expressed full confidence in Harden being their missing piece. “James Harden should have been an All-Star last year. But he’s a 10-time All-Star. He has an elite skill set, and all he cares about is one thing. He wants to win a championship for the LA Clippers. And he wants to be part of something bigger than himself. He’s had all the individual awards. He’s about doing something really special,” said the team’s President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank.

The Clippers gave up a lot to acquire Harden, sending a monster package of depth players and first-round picks to the Sixers. If he can learn the system in time, Harden is expected to debut for the team in a game against the Knicks at MSG this weekend. The Clippers are coming off an overtime loss to the Lakers. Harden was present on the bench but did not suit up. However, head coach Ty Lue did state after the game that he would have liked to have been able to use Harden. The Clippers continue to struggle with early-season injuries, hampering their now-depleted depth.

Read More: Chris Broussard Uses Ableist Slur While Discussing James Harden Trade

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James Harden’s Absence From Sixers Opener Investigated By NBA

The Sixers’ decision to leave James Harden as a healthy scratch for the first two games of the NBA season will be investigated by the league. “We are looking into the facts around James Harden’s availability tonight to determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation,” a league spokesperson told ESPN. New rules implemented for this season limit the number of games “star players” can miss. Furthermore, the rules stringently outline the reasons why a player of Harden’s caliber can miss games.

Harden returned to the Sixers practice facility earlier this week after a ten-day absence for a “personal matter”. Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters that Harden would miss the team’s two-game season-opening road trip against Milwaukee and Toronto so he could “ramp up” to being game-ready. However, things were then complicated by the fact that Harden attempted to board the team’s flight to Wisconsin. He was stopped by security at a private airfield and told he did not have authorization to board the flight.

Read More: Michael Rubin Says James Harden Saga Wouldn’t Have Happened If He Was Still Sixers Owner

Harden-less Sixers Fall To Milwaukee

However, the Sixers will be kicking themselves after their Harden-less opener in Milwaukee. Despite four players surpassing 20 points on the night, the team couldn’t overcome the 62 points put up by the Lillard-Giannis tandem. The game ended with a 118-117 win for the hosts. Tyrese Maxey led the team with 31 points while reigning MVP Joel Embiid had 24. Meanwhile, Tobias Harris added and Kelly Oubre Jr. put up 27 off the bench.

Many Sixers fans will argue that the Bucks escaped with the win. The Dame-Giannis tandem was really the only thing that Milwaukee had going for them on opening night. Only two other Bucks, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, reached double-digit points. However, the game showed the potency of what the newly formed partnership could achieve. Despite this, the Sixers will look to regroup and bounce back against Toronto. Harden is expected to make his season debut against the Blazers this weekend.

Read More: Clippers “Pause” James Harden Trade Push, May Revisit Talks Later

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Damian Lillard & Giannis Antetokounmpo Begin Bucks Partnership With Win

Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined for 62 points as the Bucks opened their NBA campaign with a 118-117 win over Philadelphia. Giannis added 13 rebounds while Lillard added eight of his own. However, the Dame-Giannis tandem was really the only thing the Bucks had going for them on opening night. Only two other Bucks, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, reached double-digit points. However, the game showed the potency of what the newly formed partnership could achieve.

Meanwhile, the Sixers will be kicking themselves not to come away with a win. Four players surpassed 20 points, with Tyrese Maxey leading the team with 31. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid added 24, while Tobias Harris put up 20. The Sixers also got 27 from Kelly Oubre Jr., who played 32 minutes off the bench. However, the game was overshadowed by the absence of James Harden. Earlier in the day, it had been reported that Harden had tried to board the team flight to Milwaukee on Wednesday afternoon. It’s another kick in the teeth to team harmony, especially with the news that the Clippers will no longer pursue a trade for Harden.

Read More: Victor Wembanyama Impresses In NBA Debut

Dame & Giannis Shine But Concerns Remain

There is a lot to say about the debut of the Dame-Giannis tandem. The pair put up 62 points. However, did the Bucks sell the farm for the sake of a new tractor? New head coach Adrian Griffin played a short bench despite struggles across the board beyond the superstar tandem. Khris Middleton had six points in 19 minutes as he rehabs from injury. Malik Beasley had 5 points and 4 defensive rebounds in 31 minutes.

Next up for Milwaukee is Atlanta, a playoff hopeful who dropped their season opener to Charlotte. Meanwhile, the Sixers are headed to Toronto to face the rebuilding Raptors. It will serve as a rematch for new head coach Nick Nurse, who was fired by Toronto during the offseason. Hopefully, they can find a win before they return to Philly for their home opener against Portland, and a reunion with the waiting Harden.

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