76ers rally to win 133-130, snap Bucks' 16-game streak
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper says he will report to spring training on Wednesday as he continues recovering from elbow surgery and then determine when he can return full time.
The two-time National League MVP was injured in April and last played right field on April 16 in Miami. He underwent reconstructive right elbow surgery in November, causing him to miss the beginning of spring training.
The 30-year-old will have some catching up to do when he arrives in Clearwater, Florida. His teammates have been adjusting to new pitch-clock rules, part of Major League Baseball's efforts to speed up the game.
"It's going to be a different game, of course, especially with myself and a lot of guys that have been playing for a long time," Harper said Sunday. "It's going to be different to see baseball on a time clock, but it's something we're going to have to adapt to. We'll see what happens going forward. I look forward to kind of progressing in that how and when I can."
Harper was at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to serve as grand marshal for the NASCAR Cup Series' Pennzoil 400 race. He is a Las Vegas native who makes his offseason home here.
The Oakland Athletics are considering moving to Las Vegas. Their lease at RingCentral Coliseum expires after the 2024 season, and the A's have been in discussions with officials in both Las Vegas and Oakland.
Harper said he hopes Las Vegas lands a baseball team, but he would prefer it be an expansion club.
"I don't think a team can come here and thrive like the (NHL's Vegas Golden) Knights did," Harper said. "I think having a team like the Knights come in as an expansion is a lot different than having another Major League Baseball team come in here and try to thrive."
Harper knows about thriving.
He had a plateletrich plasma injection on his ailing elbow in May and became a fulltime designated hitter to finish the season, helping lead the Phillies to their first World Series since 2009.
They lost to the Houston Astros in six games, but Harper batted .349 with six home runs and 13 RBIs in 17 postseason games. His two-run homer with two outs in eighth inning captured the pennant for the Phillies in a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Nothing could faze the Philadelphia 76ers.
Not the loss of two starters. Not an 18-point deficit late in the third quarter. Not even the fact they were facing the NBA's hottest team on the road.
Joel Embiid made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 41.4 seconds left and the 76ers rallied to beat Milwaukee 133130 on Saturday night, snapping the Bucks' 16game winning streak.
"You find something that works and you try to stick with it," said James Harden, who had 38 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. "We found something late, in that fourth quarter, and we just stuck with it. We got some stops and things changed for us."
Milwaukee had the longest winning streak by any NBA team since the Phoenix Suns had 18 straight victories early last season. The streak ended because the Bucks got outscored 48-31 during a fourth quarter in which the 76ers shot 12