Embiid and 76ers rally to drop Heat
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 3point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Heat at Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night.
The 76ers earned the No. 7 seed and advanced to play the second-seeded 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 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, and the Celtics.
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, was a non-factor as Nicolas Batum and Buddy Hield improbably sparked the 76ers in the second half. Batum had 20 points.
Heat’s Butler injured
Miami guard Jimmy Butler said he will need an MRI on his right knee after he was injured in the first half against the 76ers.
Butler was hurt late in the first quarter when he tried to fake out Oubre on a bucket, only to have his knee buckle 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. “I don't know. It's not a good feeling, I can tell you that.”
Butler remained in the game and scored 19 points.
White (42) leads Bulls
Coby White scored a careerhigh 42 points and the Bulls advanced in the play-in tournament, knocking out the Hawks with a 131-116 victory at Chicago.
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 the Celtics.
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.
Williamson out
Zion Williamson has been ruled out of the Pelicans’ Western Conference play-in game against the Kings on Friday night because of a left hamstring injury — and is expected to miss up to two weeks should New Orleans advance to the NBA playoffs.
The injury occurred with about three minutes remaining in a 110106 loss to the Lakers in New Orleans’s Play-In Tournament opener at home on Tuesday night.
Leonard yet to practice
Kawhi Leonard has yet to practice five-on-five with the Clippers as they prepare to face the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.
Leonard hasn’t played in a game since March 31 because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.