Basketball  

Rookie Gradey Dick's improved stamina gives him strong finish to Raptors season

Photo: The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Gradey Dick's rookie season got off to a rough start as he struggled to put up numbers in his limited time with the Toronto Raptors. But advice that his parents gave kept him focused and motivated.

Dick was selected 13th overall out by Toronto in last summer's NBA draft out and was expected to split time between the Raptors and Raptors 905, their G-League affiliate. He struggled mightily through the first four months as a professional basketball player, but he kept reminding himself of what his parents Bart and Carmen Dick told him.

"Without struggle, your story is not going to be worth being told and if you can't fight through that and be resilient, then what makes it a good story?" said Dick after the Raptors cleaned out their lockers. "I feel like going through that and being resilient and just trying to play the game that I've been playing since I was a little and getting comfortable out there taught me a lot about myself."

The teenager averaged five points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists on 14.3 minutes per game of play in October, and floundered even more in November, averaging 3.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 14.8 minutes per game in the month where he turned 20. 

He spent more time in the G League in December and Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic limited his playing time over four NBA games, with Dick averaging 3.5 minutes, two points and no assists or rebounds.

That trend continued into January where he only managed 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 17.3 minutes per game in seven games.

But at the start of 2024 Rajakovic told media that Dick had been put on a special workout plan with Raptors strength and conditioning coach Jon Lee to improve his stamina and keep up with the NBA's pace.

"I feel great, I'm ready to play 82 more," joked Dick at his end-of-season conference. 

Dick's improved stamina started to pay dividends on the court. In February his minutes climbed to 20.3 per game with 11 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists. He was able to eat more minutes as most of Toronto's starters were unavailable in March and April. 

He had 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists over 30.5 minutes in March and 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.1 assists in 30 minutes per game in April.

"If I have the energy to keep going up and down some guys might get tired out and take maybe a possession off here and there," Dick said of his improved fitness. "I can really capitalize on that with different cuts and stuff around the basket."

That vigour was apparent in his ability to make cuts on offensive possessions, something that all-star forward Scottie Barnes said helped the entire Raptors lineup.

"Him cutting that well off the ball inspires us all to cut well off the ball as well," said Barnes. "I try to cut hard and finish my cuts, Gary Trent Jr. cuts a lot, but I think we're all trying to get to that level that (Dick) cuts.

"But he does so many things well, but we've all got to improve at different things. It's just his first year and he's going to come back and be better."

including the slow start to the season and his noticeable improvement after the conditioning stint, Dick averaged 8.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, over 21.1 minutes per game in his rookie campaign. Rajakovic said he expects more as Dick continues to fill out.

"At the beginning of the season I said he looks 16 and then he looked like 16 1/2. Now he looks like 17," laughed Rajakovic. "There is a natural thing that’s going to happen with just getting older. I think his body is going to fill in. 

"There’s a lot of work to be done for him to get stronger and to be more physical on the defensive end as well. I think that’s the No. 1 thing for him (this off-season)."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2024.

Moyer-Gleich picked for NBA playoff officiating roster, 1st woman in that role since 2012

Photo: The Canadian Press

Ashley Moyer-Gleich checked her email just before heading to the airport on Saturday for a trip to what she thought would be her final game of the season.

That's when the news came in: She has more games to do.

Moyer-Gleich will soon become only the second woman in NBA history to referee a playoff game. She was one of 36 referees announced by the league Thursday as its referee selections for Round 1 of the playoffs starting this weekend.

“It's surreal,” Moyer-Gleich said. “It really is.”

She joins Violet Palmer as the only women picked by the NBA for a playoff assignment. Palmer worked nine playoff games between 2006 and 2012.

Moyer-Gleich, a former Division II player at Millersville University in her native Pennsylvania, was promoted to the full-time NBA officiating ranks in November 2018. She's worked more than 200 regular-season games in her six seasons and is one of three first-time playoff selections by the league this year — Marat Kogut and J.T. Orr are the others.

“I worked four games as an alternate last year, so obviously, my goal was I wanted to be an alternate again because that’s just sustaining the growth that I’ve had in my career," Moyer-Gleich said. "And then to see my name on list of working floor officials ... I mean, my mom was with me, she came with me on my last two games for a little trip, and to open that email and have her there with me and share that news, it was really quite amazing.”

The full list of first-round referees chosen by the NBA: Ray Acosta, Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Tony Brothers, Nick Buchert, James Capers, Sean Corbin, Kevin Cutler, Marc Davis, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, John Goble, David Guthrie, Bill Kennedy, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Mark Lindsay, Ed Malloy, Gediminas Petraitis, Kevin Scott, Aaron Smith, Ben Taylor, Dedric Taylor, Josh Tiven, Justin Van Duyne, James Williams, Sean Wright, Zach Zarba, Kogut, Orr and Moyer-Gleich.

“Congratulations to these 36 officials on the well-earned and prestigious honor of being selected to officiate in the NBA Playoffs,” NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell said. “We appreciate the professionalism, dedication and teamwork that our officiating staff displays on a daily basis throughout the season."

The league trims the officiating roster down for each round, typically culminating with a 12-person list for the NBA Finals. Those referees receive white warm-up jackets for Finals games, something the league has made a tradition for years.

Moyer-Gleich isn't there yet — but she's one step closer.

“Just like playoffs are coveted, the white jacket is even more super-coveted,” she said. “Obviously that’s an aspiration and that’s a goal way far down the road. And hopefully I can continue on the same trajectory, continue to increase my responsibility on the floor, maybe going from the referee to a crew chief at some point and then hopefully getting to the finals — the epitome of what we do. And whether I'm the first or not, I think just a female breaking through and getting that opportunity would be monumental."

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Trail Blazers guard Taze Moore signs with CEBL's Vancouver Bandits

Photo: The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — Taze Moore doesn't take basketball for granted, so when a unique opportunity to play summer ball came up, he grabbed it. 

After playing four NBA games for the Portland Trail Blazers this year, the 25-year-old guard is bringing his skills to the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Coming to B.C. is another stop in Moore's quest to secure an NBA contract.

“I’m almost there," he said in a phone interview from Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday. "I’m still on my journey, I’m still young.”

The journey has been a winding one. 

Hailing from Southaven, Miss., the six-foot-five, 195-pound athlete grew up playing football and street ball before basketball took him to California State University, Bakersfield. 

There, Moore shattered bones in his right leg during a fast-break dunk, an injury that threatened to end his athletic career. 

“I know the game can be taken away from you at any moment," he said of the experience. "A lot of people might not know that.” 

The next three years were filled with five surgeries, endless rehab and frustrating setbacks, all of which made him more resilient, Moore said. 

"I'm just one of those guys where I won't quit," he said. "If both legs were broken and we were in a war, I’d try to crawl somewhere. That’s just me.”

Moore transferred to the University of Houston and played for a Cougars side that played in the Elite Eight at the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament. He averaged 10.4 points and 4.9 rebounds that season, and capped it all by winning the NCAA slam dunk contest.

After going undrafted, Moore turned pro in 2022. He played for the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks' summer league squads, then joined the Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers' NBA G League affiliate.

He was called up to Portland twice during the 2023-24 season and put on a show on Sunday, scoring 12 points -- including a stunning dunk -- and contributing eight rebounds in the Trail Blazers' regular-season finale. 

Getting a taste of NBA life was full of surreal moments, Moore said. 

“You know when you’re a kid and you see people on TV and you never think you’ll talk to them, and then one day you talk to them and they’re actually like normal people? It’s like that," he said. 

Moore found himself slightly starstruck back on Jan. 21 when the Trail Blazers took on LeBron James and the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Going up against the superstar was "surreal," Moore said. 

"Certain people, they have a certain glow, a certain aura about them. That’s him. You see him, there’s like bright lights behind him, music in the background," he said.

“Where I’m from, people don’t get to see much. So me seeing one of the greats – eye to eye, I’m in his vicinity, he’s in mine – it was great.”

Now Moore is looking to continue growing his game this summer with the Bandits. He decided to come North after Kyle Julius, Vancouver's head coach and general manager, reached out. 

"It made me feel appreciated," Moore said, adding that he believes Julius is someone he can learn from. 

Moore described himself as an "energy guy" and an aggressive, athletic player.

"I like to kind of muck up the game and make things kind of fun, run around guys and things like that," he said. "I’m just trying to be a disruptor slash energy guy for the whole season.”

Everyone with the Bandits is "incredibly excited" to work with Moore, Julius said.

“He is one of the best athletes I have ever seen and his overall skillset and feel for the game is even better," he said. "We think he is the perfect addition to our already strong roster because he will also have the opportunity to be a leader and push us towards competitive greatness."

The Bandits will open their season with a home tilt against the Montreal Alliance on May 23. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2024.

Butler, Williamson injuries are part of story for Heat-Bulls and Kings-Pelicans play-in finales

Photo: The Canadian Press

MIAMI (AP) — When injuries affect the Miami Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra almost always delivers the same three-word outlook.

“We have enough," he says.

That theory is about to be tested — and will be a theme in the NBA's win-or-go-home finales of the play-in tournament on Friday night.

All four teams — Miami and Chicago in the Eastern Conference, New Orleans and Sacramento in the Western Conference — have serious injury concerns going into their matchups to decide the No. 8 seeds on the playoff bracket. Miami and New Orleans have home-court edges Friday; the winners will face No. 1 Boston and No. 1 Oklahoma City in Round 1, starting Sunday.

The Heat are bracing to be without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and possibly Duncan Robinson for their game against the Bulls, who had guard Alex Caruso go down to a sprained ankle in Wednesday's win over Atlanta.

The Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson because of a hamstring injury in their game against the Kings, a team that's been without would-be starters Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk in recent weeks because of injuries.

“We will do this the hard way," Spoelstra said. “That has to be the path right now. We're going to rest up, treat up, rally around each other up and get ready for Friday and again, embrace these competitive games. It'll be competitive in front of our home fans and we're going to bring a hell of a game on Friday night lights and do this the hard way. That's just the way the deal is right now.”

The Bulls-Heat game is a rematch of the East play-in finale last year, a game where Chicago led by three with 3:47 left and got outscored 15-1 the rest of the way.

“I remember that plane ride back home vividly,” Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan said. “Everybody was just frustrated. That feeling sucked. I know for me, that's one thing that's on my mind once I realized we were going back to Miami — to not have that same feeling.”

Sacramento got into the West play-in finale by ousting Golden State on Tuesday. New Orleans missed a chance to be the West's No. 7 seed by falling to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

MATCHUPS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

NO. 9 CHICAGO (39-43, 1-0) AT NO. 8 MIAMI (46-36, 0-1)

Friday, 7 p.m., ESPN

Season series: Split, 2-2

Play-in appearances: 2nd for Miami (2023), 2nd for Chicago (2023).

At stake: Winner plays No. 1 seed Boston in Round 1, series starting Sunday. Loser is eliminated.

Outlook: Here they go again. Just like last year, it's Chicago at Miami with the No. 8 seed in the East on the line in an elimination game. The Heat have huge injury issues with Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson ailing, and the Bulls had to finish Wednesday's game without Alex Caruso. No Bulls team has gone to the playoffs with a losing regular-season record since the 1986-87 team did it at 40-42.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

NO. 9 SACRAMENTO (46-36, 1-0) AT NO. 7 NEW ORLEANS (49-33, 0-1)

Friday, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Season series: Pelicans, 5-0 (includes one In-Season Tournament win)

Play-in appearances: 1st for Sacramento; 3rd for New Orleans (2022, 2023).

At stake: Winner plays No. 1 seed Oklahoma City in Round 1, series starting Sunday. Loser is eliminated.

Outlook: One way or another, New Orleans will make history on Friday. Either the Pelicans will become the first team to go 6-0 in a season (without a playoff series) against an opponent since Denver against Minnesota in 1994-95, or will become the second team in NBA history to go 49-33 or better and not make the playoffs (joining the 1971-72 Phoenix Suns, who went 49-33). The Pelicans will be without the injured Zion Williamson (hamstring) and the Kings will still be without Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Malik Monk (knee). New Orleans has had leads of 15 points in all five games (15, 17, 23, 41 and 50) and the Kings led only one of the five matchups by more than nine points at any time.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

76ers beat Heat 105-104 in play-in to earn No. 7 seed

Photo: The Canadian Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid showed why Philadelphia always has a shot at a long postseason run as long as he’s in the lineup.

Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and one huge assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a go-ahead three-point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night.

The 76ers earned the No. 7 seed and advanced to play the second-seeded New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

The Heat — who went from the play-in tourney to the NBA Finals a year ago — play the winner of the night’s late play-in game between Chicago and Atlanta on Friday night, with the winner getting the No. 8 seed.

BULLS , HAWKS

CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White scored a career-high 42 points, and Chicago advanced in the play-in tournament, knocking out Atlanta.

White, whose previous high was 37, went hard at the rim throughout the game and had fans chanting his name down the stretch as the Bulls rolled past the Hawks. Chicago visits Miami on Friday for a shot at the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a first-round matchup with Boston. The Heat lost 105-104 to Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 30 points. But the Hawks came up short again after dropping their final six regular-season games.

Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago. DeMar DeRozan finished with 22 points and nine assists.

Coby White scores career-high 42 points as Bulls roll past Hawks 131-116 in play-in game

Photo: The Canadian Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Coby White drew roars from the crowd early on with vicious crossovers and spins toward the basket. He was so effective he had fans chanting his name as the final minutes ticked away.

It was that kind of night.

White scored a career-high 42 points, and the Chicago Bulls advanced in the play-in tournament, knocking out the Atlanta Hawks with a 131-116 victory on Wednesday.

White had never scored more than 37 points in a regular season or postseason game. But in a breakthrough season, he delivered his best performance to date.

“It was a dope moment for that to happen,” White said. “I'm thankful for the fans. It felt like a playoff vibe. The place was rocking tonight.”

Chicago visits Miami on Friday for a shot at the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a first-round matchup with Boston. The Heat lost 105-104 to Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 30 points. But the Hawks came up short again after dropping their final six regular-season games.

Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago. DeMar DeRozan finished with 22 points and nine assists.

Ayo Dosunmu added 19 points after missing the final four regular-season games because of a bruised right quadricep.

But White stole the spotlight. He went hard at the rim and made 15 of 21 field goals in a game where the Bulls shot 56.8% from the field. He also had nine rebounds and six assists.

“I root for guys that work hard and are great people," Murray said. “DeMar DeRozan's a brother to me and he speaks highly of him. He says he works hard, he's a great guy, he's handled his business, he's a professional on and off the floor. When I hear those things, I root for guys around the league just to have success. I think he's always been good. He never really got the opportunity to showcase what he's showcasing now, and the sky's the limit.”

Atlanta’s Trae Young and Clint Capela each scored 22. Young, who missed 23 games late in the regular season because of a torn ligament in his left pinkie, had 10 assists but committed six turnovers. Capela grabbed 17 rebounds. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 21 points.

The Bulls were up 88-85 when Vucevic nailed a 3-pointer with 4:59 left in the third quarter to kick off a 17-2 run.

White had the fans roaring when he scored on a neat spin around Young and fed a cutting Javonte Green for a dunk. White then scored on a layup following a block by Dalen Terry to make it 105-87 with 1:27 left in the third.

The Bulls led 40-22 after closing the first quarter on a 16-2 run, punctuated by Terry's dunk off a steal by Alex Caruso. Young committed five turnovers in the period.

The Hawks quickly got back into it, reeling off 14 straight to start the second. The Bulls got the lead back up to 58-44 midway through the quarter when a rotating Dosunmu blocked De’Andre Hunter, drawing a huge roar from the crowd, and DeRozan broke for a three-point play.

The Hawks made another push near the end of the half, pulling within three in the closing minute. But Caruso answered an alley-oop dunk by Capela with a 3 and Chicago headed to the locker room with a 73-67 lead.

Caruso exited in the third quarter with a left ankle injury. Whether he'll be ready to play against Miami was unclear.

“My mindset will be to play 'til my body tells me I can't,” he said.

UP NEXT

Bulls: The Bulls and Heat split four games, with each team winning one on the road. ___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Hey, Buddy! The postseason finally beckons for 76ers' Buddy Hield after 632 NBA games

Photo: The Canadian Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey sat on his locker room chair and yelled loud enough after Philadelphia beat Miami in a play-in tournament game to welcome one of the newest 76ers to the postseason club.

“Buddy Hield! Welcome to the playoffs!” Maxey said.

Indeed, Hield is set to make his NBA postseason debut — and all it took was 632 regular-season games plus one more bonus game Wednesday night in the 76ers' 105-104 win over the Heat.

The 31-year-old Hield held the dubious distinction of most NBA games without a playoff appearance by an active player.

“I'm just glad we got the win,” Hield said. “I'm glad I go to the playoffs for the first time. I'm ready.”

He played 57 games with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016-17 and 385 games with the Sacramento Kings. He played 158 games with the Indiana Pacers before he was traded to the 76ers at this season's trade deadline for Marcus Morris Jr., Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round draft picks. He played the final 32 games with the Sixers.

Because of the trade, Hield actually played 84 games this season. He also played for the Pacers in the In-Season Tournament title game in December, Game 85 which didn't count toward the official total. Game No. 86 pushed him into the playoffs. He hit a 3-pointer when the Sixers rallied from 14 down and finished with seven points.

“I think it's something pretty cool,” coach Nick Nurse said. “Pretty cool to be able to do that, especially in this day and age.”

Hield has been one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA for years in both volume and makes. He hit at least 260 in four straight seasons with the Kings and made a career-high 288 last season with the Pacers.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler will have MRI Thursday, may miss play-in game Friday

Photo: The Canadian Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Miami guard Jimmy Butler will have an MRI on his right knee Thursday, with the Heat bracing for the strong possibility that he may miss Friday's elimination play-in game against the Chicago Bulls, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

No final determination will be made until after the MRI is read sometime in the late afternoon, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither Butler nor the Heat had revealed specific details publicly.

Even if diagnosed with a sprain, the likelihood would be that Butler misses several weeks, at minimum. It only adds to Miami's major injury issues, with point guard Terry Rozier out with a neck strain and shooting guard Duncan Robinson bothered by a back injury. Robinson was cleared to play Wednesday but did not appear in Miami's 105-104 loss to Philadelphia.

Butler was hurt late in the first quarter of that game against the 76ers when he tried to fake out Kelly Oubre Jr. on a bucket. His knee buckled and he fell to the court. Oubre appeared to land on the Heat star, who led the franchise last season to the NBA Finals.

“I fell, he landed and my knee just didn't do well, I guess," Butler said Wednesday night. “I don't know. It's not a good feeling, I can tell you that.”

Butler sank the free throw, exhaled and missed the second one. He remained in the game and scored 19 points, but the Heat wasted what was a 14-point lead and now face Chicago in a win-or-else game on Friday. The winner gets the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Boston Celtics in a series that starts Sunday.

“We just need to get one and then we'll worry about the next one,” Butler said.

Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, told Sirius XM NBA on Thursday that there had been no determination yet on the injury's severity because the MRI had not yet been performed. The Heat landed in Miami around 2 a.m. Thursday after the game in Philadelphia.

“It felt like I couldn’t do too much, which sucks with the timing of the game and everything,” Butler said after the game. “I hope that I’m fine. I hope that I wake up tomorrow and can still stick-and-move. Right now, I can’t stay that’s the case.”

Whether Butler plays or not, the Bulls expect to have a tough time against the Heat.

“Jimmy being out for Miami, they have a culture,” Chicago guard Ayo Dosunmu said. “Whoever steps up in his spot, I know they’re not gonna bring everything he does. He’s an All-Star, a great player in this league, but Miami is one of the teams when you play them, you know what to expect. They play hard. They play physical. They don’t quit. They always keep coming, they keep bringing energy.”

Butler, a former Bull and Sixer, scored 20.8 points in 60 games for the Heat. The 34-year-old Butler said he stayed in the game because he thought the “adrenaline would kick back in” and he would feel healthy enough to play at his usual level.

Butler was 5 of 18 from the floor overall but scored just two points in the fourth, when the Heat collapsed in the quarter.

“It just wasn't the case,” he said. “I wasn't able to do anything on either side of the ball. I think I hurt us more than I helped us actually.”

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Joel Embiid scores 23 points, has the big assist as 76ers beat Heat in play-in to earn No. 7 seed

Photo: The Canadian Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The 76ers needed all the improbable tricks they could summon to even have a chance at winning their first play-in game in team history.

Nicolas Batum hit game-shifting 3-pointers. Buddy Hield was in the mix. Even the promise of free chicken nuggets was enough to revive an offense and smother the boos from Philly fans that rained inside the arena.

But in crunch time, the game came down to Joel Embiid. Always Joel Embiid.

With the NBA MVP on the court, the 76ers proved they have a shot at a long postseason run as long as he’s in the lineup.

Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and one huge assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a go-ahead three-point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night.

“Lots of booing,” Embiid said, smiling. “We stuck together. It just shows you that I don't play my best, I don't get to my spots the whole game until the fourth quarter, and we still find a way to win.”

The 76ers earned the No. 7 seed and advanced to play the second-seeded New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

The Heat — who went from the play-in tourney to the NBA Finals a year ago — host Chicago on Friday night, with the winner getting the No. 8 seed.

Embiid exploded out of a quiet game late in the fourth and carried the Sixers back from 14 down in the second half. Embiid, who missed 43 games this season and finished out on a surgically repaired left knee, was a non-factor as Batum and Hield sparked the 76ers in the second half. Batum had 20 points.

“We won the game because of them,” Embiid said. “Those guys stepped up and we won the game.”

But when the Sixers needed big buckets, who else was there but their big man?

Embiid buried a go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 2;33 left in the game for a 93-91 lead that sent a crowd — that had about booed the Sixers out of the building at the half — into a frenzy. After the Sixers blew that lead, Embiid again was clutch with a three-point play for a 96-94 lead.

With the game tied 96-all, Miami's Tyler Herro was whistled for a backcourt violation. Embiid slipped the ball to Oubre under the basket for the bucket, the free throw and a 99-96 lead they would not give up.

The 76ers played this one like it was Game 7 — and with good reason. They like their chances against the upstart Knicks rather than playing for the No. 8 seed and a date with the NBA's best, the Boston Celtics.

That's what Miami faces if it can get out of Friday's game and make the playoffs under this format for the second straight season.

Herro — who hit a 3 in the final second before the 76ers lost the ball out of bounds as time expired — finished with 25 points. Jimmy Butler, perhaps slowed by a first-half knee injury, had 19.

“We will do this the hard way,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That has to be the path right now. We're going to rest up, treat up, rally around each other up, get ready for Friday. Again, embrace these competitive games. It will be competitive in front of our home fans.”

Butler had four steals in the first half, and gutted out two free throws after he slipped and appeared to tweak his right knee, perhaps a reason he scored only two points in the fourth. Butler said he would need an MRI on Thursday.

“It felt like I couldn't do too much, which sucks with the timing of the game and everything,” Butler said. “I hope that I'm fine. I hope that I wake up tomorrow and can still stick-and-move. Right now, I can't stay that's the case.”

The 76ers rallied in the third, fueled perhaps by a free fast-food chicken promotion triggered when the Heat missed consecutive free throws with a nine-point lead.

With the crowd roaring for the first time all night, the Sixers took off — but not behind the usual suspects. Batum — acquired in the James Harden deal with the Clippers — instead hit three 3s in the quarter that edged the Sixers within one possession of a tie game three times. Each time, the 76ers were stymied, none worse then when Embiid was stripped on a drive that could have knotted the game at 68-all. Kevin Love instead buried a 3 and the Heat took a 74-69 lead into the fourth.

After a few quick buckets put them up early, the Sixers caved and seemed downright befuddled by Miami’s zone. The Sixers were passive and could not find a way to dump the ball inside to Embiid -- the 7-footer waving his arm in vain for a ball that never came. And where his help? All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey -- who had three 50-point games this season -- vanished and scored only nine points in the half. He finished with 19.

Philly’s voracious boo birds were heard early, often and never louder than when the oft-maligned Tobias Harris ripped a page out of the 1990s Knicks star Charles Smith's book when he missed four -- four! -- gimmes at the bucket on one possession.

Harris was benched in the final minutes of the game.

They'll need Harris playing close to an All-Star level moving forward. But for a game, Batum and Hield — and a heaping dose of Embiid — were enough for the Sixers.

“Just like we planned it,” a smiling team president Daryl Morey said in the locker room.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Klay Thompson wants do decompress from season before delving into what's next as a free agent

Photo: The Canadian Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fighting his emotions from the most frustrating of nights, Klay Thompson peered high into the upper deck of Sacramento's Golden 1 Center and caught a glimpse of one remaining fan wearing his No. 11 jersey.

That moment meant a great deal to him, a lasting memory to take into the offseason that is far sweeter than his 0-for-10 shooting performance in a 118-94 loss at Sacramento in the play-in tournament Tuesday night that ended the Warriors season without a playoff berth.

“I did look up in the nosebleeds, though, and I did see a man wearing a number 11 jersey. That made me happy, considering my history in Sacramento from playing a state championship there to playing the Kings in the playoffs,” Thompson shared Tuesday, when the biggest burning question was whether he'd be wearing that same No. 11 jersey next season.

“That was kind of a full circle going for me. So that was actually a good moment, just seeing that Warriors fan standing by his lonesome up in the 300 level repping 11. That made me grateful.”

Thompson knows he wants to keep winning and has his sights set on a fifth championship before calling it a career.

Where that might be is one of the biggest decisions for Thompson and Golden State going into the offseason.

“Obviously, you want to keep winning. I mean, when you’ve been a part of winning seasons, you don’t really want to go away from that. So I would like to win again. One for the thumb would be nice,” he said of having a ring on each finger of one hand. “I still think it’s in reach. It’s just going to, yeah, take a huge effort. But other than that, just got to think about that, what will really make you happy in the last few years of your career.”

For now, Thompson insisted he needs some time to decompress first. The season was a grind. He went in and out of the starting lineup and said he has learned not to be what he calls a “front-runner."

“You sulk, you pout when you’re not shooting up to your expected splits,” he said. “I think I did better with that this year, just trying to exude great body language at all times and think deeper than just stats, think about your love for the game and why you do play this game.”

Several times Thompson has expressed his desire to stay with Golden State for his entire career, saying earlier this year, “I would love to be a Warrior for life.”

Still, he has noted he also must explore his options.

“So I really haven’t thought about that deep into the future because I still need to process the year we had and it was one filled with ups and downs,” he said. “But ultimately, we — I personally and our team did everything we could to try and win as many games as we possibly could.”

Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and the rest of the Warriors certainly hope he will remain with Golden State to continue that title hunt and that this wasn't his final game with them — though Curry's Splash Brother wasn't ready to make any bold statements about what's next while still feeling the sting of season being over far sooner than anybody would have imagined.

Thompson missed all six of his 3-point tries, too. It was especially hard for coach Steve Kerr to watch.

“I love Klay so much, I mean what he’s meant to me in the 10 years we’ve been together," Kerr said. “I’ve watched him the last couple of years fighting the feeling of devastation from the injuries and I’ve watched him really flip his season around with his approach. I saw him enjoy the second half of the season, playing with a little more freedom, a little more joy.”

The 34-year-old Thompson will become a free agent in July with his expiring five-year contract worth nearly $190 million.

“He’s been here his whole career,” teammate Kevon Looney said Wednesday. “When you think about the Warriors you think Steph, you think him, you think Draymond, and so it would be weird seeing him put on another jersey or competing for somebody else. But the NBA, guys switch more than stay on the same team nowadays. It would be hard for me to imagine that.”

Thompson still takes great pride his triumphant return from missing more than 2 1/2 years — the entire 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons — recovering from surgeries on his left knee and right Achilles.

He is determined to keep playing and proving people wrong.

“When that time comes, I mean I’m not trying to put an expiration date on my career,” Thompson said, “that’s kind of something you just go by feel.”

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Donovan Mitchell healthy, ready to make second playoff run with Cavs a year after painful early exit

Photo: The Canadian Press

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Donovan Mitchell understands what's at stake — all of it.

In the weeks ahead, his reputation, his stature among the NBA's stars, maybe even his future with Cleveland, is on the line.

An uneven season filled with twists, turns and injurie s for the Cavs has returned Mitchell to the playoffs, where he will be judged.

There's weight and pressure. Nothing new.

"Comes with the territory,” Mitchell said.

After being s lowed by a left knee injury since the All-Star break, Mitchell proclaimed himself as “100 percent” and “ready to go” as the Cavs practiced Wednesday in preparation of their first-round matchup against the Orlando Magic.

The best-of-seven series opens Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Game 2 is April 22.

Mitchell has only played in 10 of a possible 26 games since March 1 due to the sore knee, which was treated with a platelet-rich plasma injection followed by extended rest and careful monitoring by the Cavs.

For weeks, Mitchell didn't look anything like himself. His normal burst was gone and he lacked his usual change of direction, weapons he applies to separate from the league's top guard defenders.

There was concern he was more seriously injured, but Mitchell, who also played several games wearing a mask to protect his broken nose, found his gear last week with a 33-point night against Indiana.

It was his first 30-plus-point performance since Feb. 27, and it seemed to bring him and the Cavs some comfort.

The added rest this week has helped as well.

“It’s a blessing for sure,” he said. “But mentally I’m ready to play.”

Now just days away, the playoff opener is a game Mitchell and most of his teammates have been waiting to play for a year.

Mitchell's first postseason trip with Cleveland was a calamity. The New York Knicks, his hometown team and the one with whom he continues to be linked, bullied the Cavs in a five-game beatdown that left marks on Mitchell and the Cavs.

Despite averaging 27.8 points in 44 career playoff games, Mitchell has never gotten past the second round in five appearances with Utah and one with Cleveland. Fair or not, the can't-win-the-big-one stigma shadows him.

He's never shied away from the criticism. Mitchell knows there's only one way to change the narrative — win. He's Cleveland's unquestioned leader, the go-to guy, the one asked to carry the load.

Mitchell wouldn't have it any other way.

“That is just expected of me,” he said. "That's who I am to myself, who everybody’s expecting me to be. But at the end of the day, I set my own personal goals and this is one of them. It just happens to align with everybody else’s expectations, too.

"I mean, I put that on me, and I’m not worried about that. I prepped for these moments. My teammates believe in me, and I believe in myself. Now I can sit here and say about this is all I want, but I got to go out there and do it.”

The Cavs believe they're better prepared for these playoffs. While last year's postseason was painful, the early exit provided valuable learning tools they intend to use this time.

They've also been hardened by an assortment of bumps and bruises. In mid-December, injuries to Darius Garland and Evan Mobley — the duo missed six weeks — threatened to derail the Cavs before 2024 started.

However, they persevered and spent much of the season contending for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference before a late slide dropped them to No. 4.

The playoffs were always a goal. Not the last one.

“Being here is the bare minimum for this group,” Mitchell said. "This is who we are at the lowest. We all expected that. We don’t get guys like Max Strus and Georges Niang to sign in free agency, Tristan Thompson, Marcus Morris, if they don’t believe that we can do something.

"We all believe in ourselves. We always have a chip on our shoulder regardless of whether it’s the No. 1 seed, the No. 10 seed, whatever. This is where we expected to be and now we’ve got to go out there and handle business.”

As the Cavs get ready to face the young-and-dangerous Magic, Mitchell's next move hangs over Cleveland's franchise.

He's eligible to sign a contract extension with the Cavs this summer. To this point, Mitchell has been non-committal while leaving his options open. It doesn't make sense for him to be pinned down.

For now, the 27-year-old's sole focus is on what lies ahead in the next series, and hopefully another after that.

“We’re in good shape,” he said. “We’re ready to go.”

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Bucks' Damian Lillard makes progress with his adductor issue before the start of the playoffs

Photo: The Canadian Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Damian Lillard took a small step forward Wednesday in his bid to be ready for the start of the Milwaukee Bucks' Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Lillard got back on the practice floor and did some shooting and “all of the walk-through stuff." Lillard hadn't practiced on Tuesday after a sore left adductor bothered him the final weekend of the regular season.

The Bucks have Thursday off as they get ready for Game 1 of their playoff series Sunday at Milwaukee. Rivers expressed optimism that Lillard would be able to practice more fully on Friday.

Rivers did note that he also had expected the seven-time all-NBA guard to practice Tuesday before medical staff decided against it.

“I’m assuming,” Rivers said. “I would be surprised (if he doesn’t practice). I’ll put it that way.”

Lillard sat out a loss at Oklahoma City on Friday due to the injury. He returned two days later, but shot just 2 of 14 from the floor when the Bucks ended the regular season with a loss at Orlando.

The Bucks could be needing Lillard more than ever because of the likelihood that two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be ready for the start of the series. Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks’ last three regular-season games and hasn’t practiced this week due to a left calf strain, though the Bucks haven’t given any updates about his potential availability for the playoffs.

Reserve guard AJ Green also hasn’t practiced this week because of a sprained left ankle that caused him to sit out the Bucks’ final two regular-season games.

The Bucks went 1-8 in the nine games Lillard missed during the regular season.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA