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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Sixers sweep Nets to advance; Suns on brink as Lakers maul Grizzlies

Sixers sweep Nets to advance; Suns on brink as Lakers maul Grizzlies

Published Apr 23, 2023 01:26 am
New York, United States (AFP) -- The Philadelphia 76ers shook off the absence of Joel Embiid to sweep Brooklyn out of the NBA playoffs on Saturday, April 22, as the Phoenix Suns closed in on a second-round berth and the Los Angeles Lakers made a statement against Memphis. *Paul Reed of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles against Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets during the second half of Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Barclays Center on April 22, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The 76ers won 96-88. (AFP)*


The Sixers advanced to an Eastern Conference semi-final showdown against either Boston or Atlanta with a dominant second-half display to seal a 96-88 victory in Brooklyn. The Sixers trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter but transformed the contest with an 18-4 run to take the lead before closing out victory with a fourth-quarter rally. The Sixers' win was all the more impressive given the absence of star center Embiid, who suffered a right knee sprain in Thursday's 102-97 victory in game three. Embiid led the NBA with 33.1 points a game and is a finalist for the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. With Embiid out, Paul Reed stepped in to fill the void and finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Tobias Harris led the scoring for Philadelphia with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while De'Anthony Melton came off the bench to produce 15 points and lead the fourth-quarter rally. Harris said the Sixers had been determined to use Embiid's absence as a motivator. "He's the MVP. And when we heard he wasn't playing, I think it was an opportunity for everybody else to really step up and understand that we've got to get a win without the big fella," Harris told the TNT television network after the win.

Lakers maul Grizzlies

In the West, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Lakers let their play answer the trash talking of Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks, exploding out of the gate on the way to a playoff record-tying 35-9 first-quarter lead. They led by as many as 29 in the second quarter as they rolled to a 111-101 victory. Davis bounced back from a dismal showing in the Lakers' game two defeat to score 31 points and grab 17 rebounds. He also had two steals and three blocked shots, while James added 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Brooks, who had mocked NBA all-time scoring leader James as "old" after game two, saying he was happy to "poke bears," let his animosity get too physical and was tossed early in the third quarter after hitting James in the groin with his arm -- a blow that sent James to the court in pain. Brooks, booed every time he touched the ball, finished the night with seven points. Even a dazzling 45-point display from star guard Ja Morant -- back in action after missing game two with a right-hand injury -- couldn't save the Grizzlies. "I think we just came out and set the tone," Davis said. "We just want to take care of our home floor. We're not getting into the back and forth. We let our game speak for itself."

Suns on the brink

In Los Angeles, Kevin Durant finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help Phoenix take a 3-1 series lead over the Clippers with a 112-100 victory. Devin Booker plundered 30 points and veteran Chris Paul added 19 in a late burst of scoring as Phoenix bagged their second straight win in Los Angeles in the best-of-seven series. It means the Suns need just one more win to book their place in the Western Conference semi-finals, with game five set for Phoenix on Tuesday. The Clippers' hopes of squaring the series had been dealt a blow by the absence of Kawhi Leonard, who joined Paul George on the injured list. In their absence Russell Westbrook produced one of his best performances for the Clippers with a 37-point display but ultimately it was not enough as the greater depth of the Suns line-up proved too much. "I'm in a good place and I'm enjoying playing ball," Durant said after the win. "I've been out a few months this season, and I'm just happy I'm out here where the ball is." In later playoff games on Saturday, the Milwaukee Bucks travel to Miami looking for a win on the road over the Heat with the best-of-seven series finely balanced at 1-1. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out game two after suffering a back injury in game one, was listed as questionable for Milwaukee. In the late game, the Memphis Grizzlies travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers with their series knotted at one game apiece.

Related Tags

Phoenix Suns Lakers Philadelphia 76ers Anthony Davis LeBron James NBA
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