P.J. TUCKER

Joel Embiid strengthened his MVP bid with 52 points, 13 rebounds, and the NBA scoring leader carried the Philadelphia 76ers to a 103-101 win over the Boston Celtics.

Zach LaVine made 11 of 13 3-pointers and scored 41 points and the Chicago Bulls beat Philadelphia 126-112 on Friday night to end the 76ers’ home winning streak at 11.

Anthony Edwards scored 25 points, D’Angelo Russell had 19 and the Minnesota Timberwolves survived a late scare and won their third straight game, 112-109 over the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

The Philadelphia 76ers are being investigated by the NBA for possible tampering in offseason free-agency moves involving James Harden, P.

James Harden is vowing a return to his high-scoring form after battling a lingering hamstring injury that created rare doubt for the three-time NBA scoring champion over the last two seasons.

The moves in the NBA right now are big and bold.

The NBA generated more basketball related income than ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of $9 billion.

James Harden is taking less with hopes the Philadelphia 76ers can do more.

A frustrated Bam Adebayo tore his jersey apart as he walked off the court after the final buzzer.

Jimmy Butler had 47 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and the Miami Heat forced the Eastern Conference finals to a decisive seventh game by beating the Boston Celtics 111-103 on Friday night.

The Boston Celtics took their turn pounding the Miami Heat early.

Celtics point guard and Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart was ruled out for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against Miami.

Bam Adebayo scored 31 points with 10 rebounds to lead Miami to a 109-103 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Celtics will be without center Robert Williams III will be out for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Heat due to soreness and swelling in his left knee.

The Boston Celtics got outworked by the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals but returned the favor in Game 2.

Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown each scored 24 and the Boston Celtics dominated the first half to roll past the Miami Heat 127-102 and tie the Eastern Conference finals at a game apiece.

Jimmy Butler scored 41 points, and the Miami Heat turned things around with a huge third quarter on the way to beating the shorthanded Boston Celtics 118-107 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Max Strus added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Miami Heat moved one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference finals by topping the Philadelphia 76ers 120-85.

Joel Embiid inspired the Philadelphia 76ers with his return from a facial injury, Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey each scored 21 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Miami Heat 99-79 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Bam Adebayo scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler had 22 points and 12 assists, and the Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-103 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Tyler Herro scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Miami Heat topped the shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers 106-92 on Monday night in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

In Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s mind, the injury situation with Joel Embiid doesn’t doom the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jimmy Butler scored 13 of his 36 points in a dominant second quarter and the Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 110-86 on Sunday night to take a 3-1 series lead.

Trae Young hit a floater in the lane with 4.4 seconds left and the Atlanta Hawks overcame a 16-point deficit in the second half to beat top-seeded Miami 111-110 on Friday night, cutting the Heat’s series lead to 2-1.

Jimmy Butler scored a playoff career-high 45 points, including a personal 7-0 run in the final moments, and the Miami Heat held off the Atlanta Hawks 115-105 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Tuesday night.

Duncan Robinson set a Miami playoff record with eight 3-pointers, and the Miami Heat forced Trae Young into matching the worst-shooting game of his career on the way to a 115-91 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series Sunday.

Kevin Durant’s return couldn’t stop the Brooklyn Nets’ slide, as Bam Adebayo had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Miami Heat to a 113-107 victory.

Bam Adebayo scored a season-high 36 points, Tyler Herro added 27 off the bench and the Miami Heat rallied from an early 16-point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 133-129 on Saturday night.

Tyler Herro scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 18 points and 11 rebounds and the Miami Heat dominated the short-handed San Antonio Spurs 112-95 to snap a three-game losing streak.

Duncan Robinson scored 25 points while shooting 7 of 11 from 3-point range to lead four Miami players with 20 or more points in the Heat’s 110-96 victory over the New York Knicks.

The NBA has postponed Miami's game at San Antonio after a combination of injuries and positive COVID-19 tests left the Heat unable to meet the league’s requirement of having eight available players.

Caleb Martin scored a career-high 28 points and the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-104.

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo needs surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and is likely out until at least mid-January.

Malik Monk scored five of his season-high 27 points in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a big deficit in the final minutes of regulation before surging in overtime for a 120-117 victory over the Miami Heat.

Jimmy Butler will miss the final three quarters of the Miami Heat’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers with a sprained right ankle.

Tyler Herro scored 27 points in 24 minutes off the bench, Jimmy Butler added 21 and the Miami Heat opened their season with an easy 137-95 victory over the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

The Milwaukee Bucks overhauled their roster during the offseason to put more star power around two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

First they lost James Harden, then Kyrie Irving, and finally the Brooklyn Nets lost their lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a 107-96 Game 4 victory on Sunday to tie their second-round playoff series with the Brooklyn Nets.

The NBA has disciplined the Brooklyn Nets security guard who went on the Fiserv Forum court and appeared to shove P.

Jrue Holiday made a go-ahead driving layup with 11.4 seconds left and the Milwaukee Bucks edged the Brooklyn Nets 86-83 in Game 3 after two blowout losses in New York.

Kevin Durant scored 32 points in three quarters of a top-to-bottom blowout that sent the Brooklyn Nets halfway to the Eastern Conference finals with a 125-86 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points, Kyrie Irving had 25 and the two superstars carried the Brooklyn Nets after James Harden’s early injury in a 115-107 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Milwaukee Bucks are a win away from a sweep of the Miami Heat and a berth in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Kelly Oubre Jr. converted a pair of free throws with 7.7 seconds left to give Golden State the lead and Milwaukee missed at the end as the Warriors held off the Bucks 122-121.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks against Los Angeles Lakers center Andre Drummond (2) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – Andre Drummond left his Lakers debut with a bruised right toe, and Jrue Holiday scored 28 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 112-97 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday night. ANTETOKOUNMPO BROTHERSGiannis Antetokounmpo and his two brothers shared the court for 52 seconds late in the fourth quarter. Thanasis Antetokounmpo is Giannis' teammate with the Bucks, while Kostas Antetokounmpo is a Lakers reserve. How can you do that to your little brother?”The Antetokounmpos became the second trio of brothers to play at the same time in an NBA game.

(AP Photo/Michael Wyke)HOUSTON – Mired in a long losing streak, the Houston Rockets twice put the ball in John Wall's hands in the waning moments. The Rockets lost their team-record 20th straight game, falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-112 Sunday when Wall missed two shots in the final 10 seconds. This one hurts.”Dort scored 23 points and Isaiah Roby had 18 for the Thunder, who led by as many as 13 points. They shot a sizzling 14 of 21 on 3s in the second quarter, however, and Oklahoma City led 66-62 at halftime. The Rockets hit a franchise-record 28 3s in a win against the Thunder on Feb. 1, just three days before their last win.

File-This March 1, 2021, file photo shows Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) passing the ball as Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker practiced with his new team Friday, March 19, 2021, after the Bucks officially announced they had acquired the 6-foot-5 forward along with guard Rodions Kurucs from the Houston Rockets. Tucker practiced with his new team Friday after the Bucks officially announced they had acquired the 6-foot-5 forward along with guard Rodions Kurucs from the Houston Rockets The Bucks sent guard D.J. As part of the trade, the Bucks gave up their 2021 and 2023 first-round picks and got back their own 2022 first-round pick and the Rockets’ 2021 second-round selection. Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement that Tucker “checks all the boxes” with his versatility and all-around game.

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo , left, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)PHILADELPHIA – Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 10 of his 32 points in overtime to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. Tobias Harris scored 19 points and Danny Green added 18 for Philadelphia, which had its six-game winning streak snapped. After being hounded by Simmons for most of the game, Antetokounmpo found his offense in the extra session with Simmons in foul trouble. He scored 10 straight Bucks points, the last a 10-foot jumper in the lane that pushed Milwaukee's lead to 105-98 with 1:11 left in overtime.

Kenyon Martin Jr. #6 of the Houston Rockets drives for two over Jakob Poeltl #25 of the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on January 14, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)HOUSTON – DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and the San Antonio Spurs held off a late charge from the Houston Rockets for a 111-106 victory Saturday night. John Wall made a layup for Houston with less than 30 seconds left, but Patty Mills hit two free throws for San Antonio to extend it to 109-104. Tucker made two free throws for Houston after that, but Rudy Gay made two for San Antonio to secure the victory. A 3-pointer by David Nwaba got Houston within eight in the third, but the Spurs scored the next five points to push it to 82-69.

(AP Photo/Steve Dykes)PORTLAND, Ore. – CJ McCollum scored 44 points, including a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left that gave the Portland Trail Blazers a 128-126 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. Lillard's layup pushed the Blazers ahead 125-123 with 30 seconds left in overtime, but Harden made a 3 to push the Rockets ahead with 15.3 seconds left. Then with 6.3 seconds left, the ball found McCollum again and the Blazers' guard hit another long range shot putting Portland ahead 128-126. After Wood cut the Blazers lead to 123-120 with a layup, Harden tied the game again at 123 with 38.6 seconds left. After a missed 3-pointer by Lillard, Houston’s PJ Tucker was called for a loose ball foul on the rebound with 32 seconds left.

HOUSTON – James Harden practiced with the Houston Rockets on Monday for the first time this season after missing the early part of camp while talk swirls that he wants out. Coach Stephen Silas said he spoke with the superstar Monday, but they talked strictly basketball and neither addressed a possible trade. He’s bringing up good points.”So far asking Harden anything hasn’t been an option — the Beard hasn’t spoken to reporters since reporting to camp. Silas said that Harden will make his preseason debut Tuesday night when the Rockets host the Spurs. Silas, in his first year in Houston after taking over for Mike D’Antoni, has said he expects Harden to be “all in” this season.

Markieff Morris scored 16 points for the Lakers. James took only 15 shots in Game 1 and was scoreless in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 112-97 loss, but he was dominant on both ends in the final period of this one. He had eight points in the quarter and a powerful blocked shot on Russell Westbrook that flew far out of bounds. James Harden scored 27 points and Eric Gordon made six 3-pointers and added 24 for the Rockets, who made 22 3-pointers. Tucker had 18 points and Robert Covington 17, but Westbrook finished only 4 for 15 while scoring 10 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

The Rockets pulled out a tense final game of the first round that lasted long past the final basket as replays and fouls were sorted out. These are the games, you want to win a championship or win playoff games, you've got to do it with your heart, D'Antoni added. Covington had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Eric Gordon also scored 21 points for the Rockets. Rockets: Houston is 7-5 in Game 7s, including 1-1 under D'Antoni. The Rockets had lost their two other Game 7s in the first round, against Utah in 2007 and Dallas in 2005.

The Rockets pulled out a tense final game of the first round that lasted long past the final basket as replays and fouls were sorted out. These are the games, you want to win a championship or win playoff games, you've got to do it with your heart, D'Antoni added. Covington had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Eric Gordon also scored 21 points for the Rockets. Rockets: Houston is 7-5 in Game 7s, including 1-1 under D'Antoni. The Rockets had lost their two other Game 7s in the first round, against Utah in 2007 and Dallas in 2005.

Houston Rockets' P.J. That was a fortunate turn of events for the Houston Rockets. We need him.Schroder led the Thunder with 19 points 18 of them in the second quarter, when Oklahoma City had its only lead of the game. Steven Adams had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Darius Bazley had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder. Houston scored 20 of the games first 27 points, but the Thunder erased the deficit in the second -- taking a brief lead of as many as five points -- before the Rockets took a 48-45 lead into the half.

Tucker, center, his held back by Oklahoma City Thunder's Steven Adams, right, as he confronts Dennis Schroder (17) after a foul during the second half of an NBA basketball first round playoff game Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Both Schroder and Tucker were ejected from the game. Tucker and Oklahoma City's Dennis Schroder were ejected from Game 5 of their first-round playoff series Saturday night after a tussle following a hard pick that sent them both to the floor. When the two players stood back up, Tucker approached Schroder and head-butted him from behind. After checking the video, referee James Capers called a flagrant 2 foul on Schroder and ejected him.

The Rockets will take a 3-2 series lead into Game 6 against the Thunder in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Monday night. Dennis Schroder led the Thunder with 19 points in Game 5 18 in the second quarter, when Oklahoma City had its only lead of the night. If the Rockets win Monday, they would play Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. INJURY WATCH: Rockets G Russell Westbrook (quad) returned for Game 5, with seven points and seven assists in just under 24 minutes. The Lakers would get nearly a full week to rest if the Rockets dont win Game 6.

It was the 36th straight game with at least 20 points for Westbrook, who led Houston's offense on a night James Harden scored 24. So, I think a lot of tonights on me.Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists for Milwaukee. But Houston scored the next nine points, highlighted by a 3 and a steal from P.J. Westbrook made two free throws before a shot by Antetokounmpo left Milwaukee up 116-115 with 16.5 seconds remaining. The Rockets were up by two after a basket by Westbrook with about 1 minutes left in the third quarter.