Opera Philadelphia took a break from its rehearsal for ”Carmen” to record an a capella version of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ catchy retro anthem
Harrison Phillips Jersey , ”Here Come the Sixers.”
Philly can belt out the words .
”No. 1, Philadelphia. Here they come, team of the year. One, two three, four, five, Sixers.”
Keep counting – all the way to 16.
The Sixers roar into the postseason on a 16-game winning streak, both the longest for a franchise that boasts The Big Dipper, AI, Dr. J and The Boston Strangler on its all-time roster and also the longest in NBA history to end a season.
Perhaps it’s fitting an opera company saluted the Sixers’ first postseason berth since 2012 because it’s another masked man who has terrorized the NBA and whose status has the league buzzing – the self-proclaimed ”Phantom of the Process .”
Joel Embiid will not be lurking in the bowels of the Wells Fargo Center when Game 1 opens Saturday against the Miami Heat (44-38). He’ll start the postseason just as he did during the infancy of the Process – injured and watching from the bench.
Maybe he’ll wear his gold sneakers or choose from his pastel palette of sports coats to root for the Sixers.
But the black mask he wears during light shooting drills to protect a broken orbital bone will stay in his locker. So will his jersey, at least for Game 1. Beyond that, who knows. But if the third-seeded Sixers want to beat the Heat, they’ll need their All-Star center/social media darling/leading scorer/court jester/leading rebounder in the lineup.
Coach Brett Brown said Friday he couldn’t even say that Embiid would return in the first round.
”I know that I can kind of, not my take my time, but be more calm about it and make sure that everything is right,” Embiid said. ”I can follow the doctor’s orders instead of wanting to go out and play thinking that my teammates actually really, really need me.”
Yes, the 76ers (52-30) won the final eight games without Embiid after he suffered a freak injury in a collision with teammate Markelle Fultz. And yes
Donte Jackson Jersey , 16 straight wins is splendid, but the asterisk is placed because only Denver, Cleveland and Milwaukee over that span finished with winning records.
But they led Cleveland and Milwaukee by 30 points, and rookie of the year contender Ben Simmons (15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds), JJ Redick, Dario Saric and Fultz, the No. 1 pick coming off his first career triple-double, are enough to make the Sixers 7-point favorites to win Game 1.
Philly is riding high these days in the wake of the Eagles’ Super Bowl title and Villanova’s national championship in college hoops earlier this month, feats that are about the only things that could dwarf a 16-game win streak.
Brown, who has a 10-win season and 26- and 28-game losing streaks on his resume thanks to the Process, has kept the organization steady.
”The locker room’s been good in the darkest of times,” Brown said.
The goals keep changing in Philly – from a playoff berth to 50 wins to the No. 3 seed. Now comes the hard part.
There’s also this – in a postseason full of gamesmanship, would anyone truly be surprised if Embiid walked out to a rocking ovation when starting lineups are introduced?
Here’s what else to know for Heat-76ers, Game 1.
WHO’S IN
Amir Johnson should get the start for Embiid. Johnson averaged just 4.6 points in 74 games but bumped that up to 6.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in the last eight games filling in for Embiid. Johnson has made little impact and been the target of social media scorn from Sixers fans who would rather see Richaun Holmes get a crack at staring. ”The game is more then offense, there’s different ways I Impact games, that’s I been able to stick around this league.. Usually fans and bloggers won’t understand because all everybody does is look at numbers
Rod Smith Jersey ,” Johnson tweeted .
I’M MR. WHITESIDE
Hassan Whiteside, benched at times late in games when coach Erik Spoelstra goes small, has been embroiled in a social media feud with Embiid this season. Whiteside was whistled for three fouls in three minutes in a preseason game, prompting Embiid to laugh on the court and later called him a (hashtag)softy on Twitter. But with Embiid out, Whiteside (14 points, 11.4 rebounds) could feast on Johnson and be a difference-maker in Game 1 and perhaps justify his confidence in the Heat’s title chances.
”I feel like we can go all the way. I think everybody feels that way,” Whiteside said.
WILD SERIES
Not only did the teams split four games, all of them being decided by single-digits, but the total scoring for the clubs – Heat 409, 76ers 407 – suggested the series was nip-and-tuck every step of the way. The reality was there were wild ebbs and flows. The 76ers led one game by 28 before hanging on in the final minutes, and the Heat lost a game where it led by 24 in the second half. Plus, both teams had runs of at least eight unanswered points at least once in all four matchups.
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this story.
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More NBA basketball: Jermaine Kearse was far from pleased last week when he heard the details of the NFL's new policy on the national anthem.
The veteran wide receiver and his New York Jets teammates couldn't be happier, though, to have the full support of acting owner Christopher Johnson.
"For me personally, I'm very appreciative of him," Kearse said after practice Tuesday. "I think he kind of gets it."
NFL owners voted last Wednesday to require players to stand for the anthem or stay in the locker room. Teams will be fined if players don't stand. Some players have been kneeling during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before games the last two seasons to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
"Honestly, I'm disappointed," Kearse said. "I think they're kind of missing the point. For us as a team
Jalen Ramsey Jersey , I think if you've paid attention, nobody on our team kneeled, but that doesn't mean we don't support the causes of why people are kneeling."
Johnson said shortly after the league announced the policy that he will not punish his players for any peaceful protests 鈥?and would pay any potential fines incurred by the team as a result of his players' actions.
"To me, honestly, the conversation about whether players are kneeling or not, I felt like that conversation was dying and it didn't get brought up until they decided to make the rules," Kearse said. "So, I think we're kind of getting away from the actual cause. I think we're starting to focus on the kneeling part rather than the cause behind it.
"I wish they would be more like Chris, to be quite honest, and support the players and actively be involved and have those conversations with their players."
Added coach Todd Bowles: "It's always nice to have the owner have your back. It's about the issues for us. We didn't have a problem a year ago. We'll continue to talk as a group, as a team and as an organization, and go forward from there."
Jets players say NFL owners 'missing point' with anthem rule.More from @DWAZ73: s://t.co/fbmH4jkKAo pic.OQp1Cy3C3N
鈥?AP NFL (@AP_NFL) May 29, 2018
Left tackle Kelvin Beachum echoed Kearse's sentiments about the NFL's new policy. Beachum and quarterback Josh McCown are part of the Players Coalition, an advocacy group of NFL players that has had discussions with league owners on social matters.
"It is disappointing, but it is what it is at this point," Beachum said. "We've been talking about this issue for a number of years and the league finally made a decision. We're going to still continue to do the work. Our owner supports us in doing that work and he's with us as we're doing that work. So we're not going to keep talking this game and keep talking about the anthem. We're actually going to do something about it and go find a solution."
Johnson met with the entire team last week and explained to the players why he voted in favor of the new NFL rule 鈥?only San Francisco's Jed York abstained 鈥?while also assuring them they would not be punished by the team if they did not adhere to the league's policy.
"He's very supportive of us," Kearse said. "I mean, whether guys choose to or not
Joe Namath Jersey , he supports our decision 鈥?their decision 鈥?but like I said, nobody last year kneeled. The fact that he'll support us any way he can is a very gratifying feeling."
Johnson took over the day-to-day operations of the team last June from his brother Woody, who is serving as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom in President Donald Trump's administration. Trump frequently has been critical of players who have protested during the anthem, so it would appear a tough spot for the younger Johnson while balancing business, politics and family.
But Christopher Johnson immediately earned his players' respect last year when he went up to each one in the Jets' locker room before the team's home opener against Miami in September and asked if he could stand with them in unity.
Johnson, the players and the coaches stood 鈥?arms locked 鈥?on the sideline before every remaining game. Several players pointed to the owner's actions as playing a large role in establishing cohesiveness on a team that stuck together despite a 5-11 record.
But Johnson's latest stance has become a polarizing issue with some Jets fans and even politicians saying the owner's support of a player potentially protesting during the anthem is misguided.
"It's great that he stuck his neck out there," linebacker Darron Lee said, "because I know a lot of people feel passionate about that."
New York Rep. Pete King wrote on Twitter on Saturday that it was "disgraceful" that Johnson would pay fines for players who would kneel during the anthem. King added that Johnson's decision was "encouraging a movement premised on lies vs. police."
"Would he support all player protests?" King continued. "Would he pay fines of players giving Nazi salutes or spew racism? It's time to say goodbye to Jets!"
Disgraceful that @nyjets owner will pay fines for players who kneel for National Anthem. Encouraging a movement premised on lies vs. police. Would he support all player protests? Would he pay fines of players giving Nazi salutes or spew racism? It鈥檚 time to say goodbye to Jets!
鈥?Rep. Pete King (@RepPeteKing) May 26, 2018
The Jets have not decided what they will do this year during the national anthem, but Lee said if he had to take "an educated guess," he thinks the team will lock arms again. Beachum and Kearse stressed that unity is the top priority with the Jets.
"I think it's very important that no matter what we do, that we do it together," Kearse said. "We're a locker room with different personalities, different thoughts, so not everybody thinks the same. Whate.