Sixers’ Process knocks out Heat
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons shined again in front of rapper Meek Mill, and the dominant duo ushered the nightmaresinto-dreams Process of the 76ers into the second round with a 104-91 win over the Miami Heat last night in Philadelphia.
The 76ers, winners of 10 games just two seasons ago, are in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2012. They await the winner of the Milwaukee-Boston series, with the Celtics taking a 3-2 series lead last night.
The Sixers won the series 4-1 and turned the Wells Fargo Center into the wildest house party in the city. Embiid had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Simmons had 14 points and 10 boards, and the entire team had rappers, politicians, actors and kids dancing along for the ride.
Mill made a dramatic return hours after Pennsylvania’s highest court ordered him freed while he appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions. He was taken from prison by helicopter to Philadelphia, where he rang the ceremonial bell at the start of Game 5.
The Sixers outscored the Heat by 14 in the third quarter to snap a tie game and had fans belting “Trust the Process!”
Goran Dragic was whistled for a technical after slapping Simmons on the backside of his head, and that got the crowd howling early in the third. Simmons kept his cool — the rookie is rarely rattled — and made the Heat pay. JJ Redick sank the free throw off the technical, and Simmons kicked the ball out to Robert Covington on the possession for a 3 and a 5448 lead. Redick followed with his third 3, and Philly was litty again.
Redick, who scored 27, sank the dagger late in the fourth that sent confetti flying, team flags waving and put a late-night celebration on deck.
Elsewhere in the NBA — Russell Westbrook was fined $10,000 and assessed a postgame technical foul for initiating a confrontation with Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert on Monday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard came onto the court as a substitution following a stoppage with 7:55 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 113-96 Game 4 loss to the Jazz. He intervened in an incident between Gobert and Oklahoma City backup point guard Raymond Felton.