IN BRIEF Simmons exits 76ers win with knee injury
Joel Embiid had 30 points and 11 rebounds, and the 76ers held on to beat the Wizards 107-98 on Wednesday at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, despite losing two-time All-Star Ben Simmons to a left knee injury in the third quarter.
ESPN reported that the early indications were encouraging with no pain or swelling in the knee.
Simmons was shown leaving the arena shortly before the final buzzer sounded, dressed in street clothes and walking very gingerly.
“We don’t know,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said after the game, when asked for a further update on Simmons’ status. “I’m sure the club will make some statement about his departure from the floor soon.
“More than that I don’t know. But I’m very curious to hear what that news is.”
■ Fred VanVleet had 21 points and 10 assists, and the Raptors held on to beat the Magic 109-99. Pascal Siakam added 15 points and Kyle Lowry finished with eight points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. The defending champion Raptors (49-18) have won their last seven dating back to before the hiatus and three straight games since the restart. The Magic (32-37) missed an opportunity but they maintained their 71⁄2-game lead over the Wizards for the eighth seed in the East with four seeding games to play. The Magic may be without F Aaron Gordon for an undetermined amount of time after he left the game in the third quarter with a left hamstring injury after taking a hard foul from Lowry . ... The NBA’s Board of Governors and the players’ union finalized plans to create the first NBA Foundation that will work to spur economic growth in the Black community, announcing that the initial contribution will be $300 million over the next decade. Each team will donate $1 million annually, or $30 million collectively, over those 10 years.
Colleges: NCAA Division II and III canceled fall sports championships because of the coronavirus pandemic. The cancellations affect football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, women’s volleyball and men’s water polo in both divisions. The NCAA board of governors directed each division to make its own determination on whether to hold fall championships, and both came to the same conclusion.
Soccer: Jeremy Ebobisse and Sebastian Blanco each scored and the Portland Timbers earned a spot in the MLS is Back championship game with a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union at Disney. The Timbers will face the winner of Thursday night’s match between Orlando City and Minnesota United in the title match Tuesday. The MLS is Back tournament winner earns a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League.