Joel Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and one huge assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a late go-ahead three-point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night. The 76ers earned the seventh seed and advance to play the second-seeded New York 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 Chicago on Friday night. The winner gets the No. 8 seed.
White scored a career-high 42 points, and the Chicago Bulls advanced in the play-in tournament, knocking out the Atlanta Hawks with a 131-116 victory on Wednesday. White had never scored more than 37 points in a regular season or postseason game. But in a breakthrough season, he delivered his best performance to date. “It was a dope moment for that to happen,” White said. “I’m thankful for the fans. It felt like a playoff vibe. The place was rocking tonight.” Chicago visits Miami on Friday for a shot at the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a first-round matchup with Boston. The Heat lost 105-104 to Philadelphia on Wednesday. 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.