Tag: JOEL EMBIID
Mavs begin regular season against Wemby, have 28 nationally televised games in 2023-24
The NBA announced Thursday that the Dallas Mavericks will begin the 2023-24 schedule on the road against No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a nationally televised game(ESPN) on Wednesday, October 25.
National Television:
Dallas is currently scheduled to play 28 nationally televised games, including nine on ESPN, nine on NBA TV, eight on TNT, and two on ABC.
Home-Opener:
After opening the season against division-rival San Antonio on the road, the Mavericks will return to American Airlines Center to face Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in their home opener on Friday, October 27, at 7:30 p.m. CT. It will mark Dorian Finney-Smith’s first game against his former club.
Christmas Day:
The Mavs will travel to Phoenix to battle the Suns on Christmas Day.
Road Trips:
The Mavericks will play three four-game road trips in 2023-24 (November 12 to 18; February 25 to March 1; March 25 to 31).
NBA In-Season Tournament:
The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament will begin on Friday, November 3, and culminate with the championship on Saturday, December 9. Dallas will open group play on the road against Nikola Jokić and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Friday, November 3, at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN. During group play, the Mavericks will also face the L.A. Clippers at home (November 10), New Orleans on the road (November 14), and Houston at home (November 28).
Eight teams (four per conference) will advance to the knockout rounds following group play.
The games across both stages of the In-Season Tournament will count toward the regular-season standings except for the championship.
December & January are full:
The Mavericks are scheduled to play a season-high 16 games in December and January. Dallas has a season-long seven-game homestand from January 3 to 15, which will mark just the second time in the last 10 seasons that the club will play a homestand of seven-or-more games (8 games, February 4 to 23, 2021).
Back-to-Backs:
Dallas is slated to play 13 back-to-backs. Of those back-to-backs, five begin and end on the road, four are road-to-home, three are home-to-road, and one requires no travel (begins and ends at home).
Marquee Matchups at Home:
The Suns’ trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal will make two trips to American Airlines Center this season (January 24 and February 22).
The Warriors’ quartet of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul will also visit Dallas twice in 2023-24 (March 13 and April 2). Jokić and the Nuggets will make their lone trip to Dallas on March 17.
Notable matchups against Eastern Conference teams in Dallas include meetings with Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks (January 11), Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics (January 22), Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks (February 3) and Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (March 3).
NBA announces schedule for 2023-24 season
On Thursday, the NBA released the 2023-24 regular season schedule, which begins on Oct. 23 when the Lakers travel to Denver to face the world-champion Nuggets, and the new-look Suns head to San Francisco to face the Warriors.
The first five days of the 2023-24 regular season will feature 10 national television games, with two doubleheaders each on @NBAonTNT and @ESPNNBA and one on @NBATV.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 17, 2023
Those games will showcase 14 teams and three rematches from the 2023 Playoffs (DEN-LAL, MIA-BOS and GSW-SAC). pic.twitter.com/D8mH5l4xdb
The regular-season schedule includes defined dates and opponents for 80 of each team’s 82 games and two games designated as TBD dates and opponents. Those two games for each team, to be played the week of Dec. 4, will be determined based on the results of Group Play games in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.
NBA In-Season Tournament
NBA-In-Season Tournament Group Play games for all 30 teams will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays in November, with TNT, ESPN, and NBA TV combining to televise 16 games. Eight teams will advance to the Knockout Rounds, which consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5), Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 7), and Championship (Saturday, Dec. 9).
The national broadcast schedule for the Knockout Rounds will be announced later.
Christmas Day
The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day.
Bucks face the Knicks in New York (noon ET/ESPN).
The two most recent recipients of the Larry O’Brien Trophy will go head-to-head when the 2022 NBA champion Warriors visit the 2023 NBA champion Nuggets (2:30 p.m. ET ESPN/ABC).
Next, the Lakers will host the Celtics (5 p.m. ET/ABC) as the longtime rivals meet on Christmas Day for the first time in 15 years.
The Christmas Day schedule will conclude with two more games on ESPN, with the 76ers taking on the Heat in Miami (8 p.m. ET) and the Mavericks playing the Suns in Phoenix (10:30 p.m. ET).
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On Monday, Jan. 15, the NBA family will continue the tradition of honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The celebration will include four nationally televised games.
In a TNT doubleheader, the Atlanta Hawks will face the Spurs (3:30 p.m. ET), and the Grizzlies will meet the Warriors (6 p.m. ET) as Atlanta and Memphis continue their traditions of hosting games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
NBA TV will air two games: Houston Rockets at 76ers (1 p.m. ET) and Oklahoma City Thunder at Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET).
Election Day
For the second consecutive season, no NBA games have been scheduled for Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 7).
All-Star Game
The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Final Day of Regular Season
All 30 teams will play on the final day of the regular season (Sunday, Apr. 14). The seven games between Eastern Conference teams will begin at 1 p.m. ET, and the seven games between Western Conference teams and the one cross-conference matchup will start at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Play-In Tournament/Playoffs/NBA Finals
The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament will take place from Tuesday, Apr. 16 – Friday, Apr. 19, followed by the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Saturday, Apr. 20.
Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals is set for Thursday, Jun. 6.
National Television Games
-Golden State Warriors will have the most nationally televised games this season with 41. The Lakers are next with 40, Phoenix has 37, Celtics are fourth with 34, and the Bucks and Nuggets will have 30 apiece.
-2023 NBA Finals rematches between the Nuggets and Heat will occur on Thursday, Feb. 29, in Denver on TNT (10 p.m. ET) and Wednesday, Mar. 13, in Miami on ESPN (7:30 p.m. ET).
-The top two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft – No. 1 pick Wembanyama of the Spurs and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets – are scheduled to meet for the first time in the regular season when San Antonio hosts Charlotte on Friday, Jan. 12 on ESPN (10 p.m. ET).
Additional Schedule Highlights
-All 30 teams are scheduled to make at least one appearance on TNT or ESPN in the 2023-24 regular season. The NBA on TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience.
-The team average for back-to-backs involving travel between games has been reduced to a record-low 9.0. The previous low was 9.6 last season.
-Primetime weeknight doubleheaders across TNT (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and ESPN (Wednesdays and Fridays) will again be played at 7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET except for one instance during the first week of the season.
-ABC will televise 16 games as part of its two weekend series, NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC (which tips off with the Jan. 27 tripleheader during NBA Rivals Week) and NBA Sunday Showcase (which begins with Celtics at Heat on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET).
-NBA TV will feature Center Court throughout the season. In the season debut of the franchise, the Warriors will visit the Pelicans on Monday, Oct. 30 (8 p.m. ET).
-The 2024 NBA Finals and the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals will be exclusively televised by ABC and ESPN/ABC, respectively. TNT will exclusively televise the 2024 Western Conference Finals.
Complete NBA Schedule:
2023-24 NBA SCHEDULE BY DAY (PDF)
76ers begin season in Milwaukee against Bucks
The 76ers will tip off their 2023-24 campaign on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT, the NBA announced Thursday.
This nationally-televised contest marks the first of 29 in which Philadelphia will be featured across ABC (three), ESPN (eight), TNT (seven), and NBA TV (11) throughout the 2023-24 regular season.
76ers head coach returns to his old stomping grounds on October 28 when Philly travels to Toronto to battle the Raptors. On October 29, the 76ers will host their home opener versus the Portland Trail Blazers.
In-Season Tournament:
Group Play games, the first of two stages in the In-Season Tournament, will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. On these “Tournament Nights,” the only NBA games scheduled will be Group Play games.
As part of Group A in the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia will travel to Detroit to face the Pistons on November 10 at 7 p.m. ET before hosting the Indiana Pacers on November 14 at 7 p.m. ET. The team’s third Group Play game is set for Atlanta against the Hawks on November 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the 76ers wrap up Group Play on November 21 at home against Cleveland at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
Based on standings within the group, the 76ers have the chance to move on to the Knockout Rounds, which will be single-elimination throughout the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Championship.
The NBA will announce Philadelphia’s games for the week of December 4 following the conclusion of the Group Play stage of the In-Season Tournament.
Christmas Day:
For the second consecutive season, the 76ers are one of 10 NBA teams playing on Christmas Day. Philadelphia will play at Miami at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, marking the team’s fifth appearance on Christmas Day in the last seven years.
The game will mark the first-ever matchup between the 76ers and Heat on Christmas Day.
Longest Homestand:
Philadelphia’s longest homestand of the season spans five games over 11 days at The Center from Oct. 29-Nov. 8. This includes the team’s home opener on Sunday, October 29, against Portland (7:30 p.m. ET), followed by Toronto (Thursday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV), Phoenix (Saturday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m. ET), Washington (Monday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. ET), and Boston (Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. ET).
Longest Road Trip:
Philadelphia’s longest road trip of the season runs eight days and five games in length from Jan. 25-Feb. 1. This includes games at Indiana (Thursday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. ET), Denver (Saturday, January 27, 5:30 p.m. ET, ABC), Portland (Monday, Jan. 29, 10 p.m. ET, NBA TV), Golden State (Tuesday, Jan. 30, 10 p.m., ET, TNT), and Utah (Thursday, Feb. 1, 9 p.m. ET).
Jokic comes to town:
Philadelphia will host the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, January 16 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).
Weekend Warriors:
The 76ers will have 17 weekend games (9 Fridays, 4 Saturdays, 4 Sundays) at home.
Back-to-Backs:
Philadelphia is slated for 14 sets of back-to-back games, four of which will come during the month of January.
GAME BREAKDOWN BY MONTH:
OCTOBER: 3 games (1 home, 2 road)
NOVEMBER: 15 games (9 home, 6 road)
DECEMBER: 14 games (5 home, 7 road, *2 to be scheduled)
JANUARY: 14 games (7 home, 7 road)
FEBRUARY: 12 games (8 home, 4 road)
MARCH: 17 games (6 home, 11 road)
APRIL: 7 games (4 home, 3 road)
Complete Schedule for all 30 teams: https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/08/2023-24-NBA-Schedule-By-Team-as-of-8-17-23.pdf
Nurse: ‘I look forward to coaching the Sixers and doing my part to deliver for this tremendous fanbase’
It’s official!
On Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that Nick Nurse has been named the team’s head coach.
For the past five seasons, Nurse was the head coach for the Toronto Raptors, and in his first season with the Raptors, he led Toronto to a championship in 2019.
In three seasons with Doc Rivers, who the 76ers fired after their season ended, Philadelphia could not get out of the second round of the playoffs. With Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers managing partner Josh Harris believes the team can win a championship.
“Throughout his career, he has won at multiple levels, including on the biggest stage when he led Toronto to the 2019 NBA title,” Harris said in a press release. “He is a smart, innovative, and determined coach who really stood out in this process. No matter the hurdles we’ve faced, our goal remains to bring a championship to Philadelphia, and Nick is the right coach to lead us forward.”
76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey says Nurse was the team’s top priority.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Nick Nurse as the new head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers,” Morey said. “His championship pedigree and diversity of experience, mixed with his uniquely creative approach, made him our top priority. We are confident that his leadership and expertise will help us unlock the full potential of our talented roster and bring an exciting new era of championship basketball to Philadelphia.”
The 55-year-old Nurse, who is the only head coach in league history to win championships and Coach of the Year awards in both the NBA and G League, will have an opportunity to coach league MVP Joel Embiid, possibly James Harden, and talented guard Tyrese Maxey.
“It’s been a fun challenge coaching against this group over the last five years,” Nurse said. “Now, I look forward to coaching the Sixers and doing my part to deliver for this tremendous fanbase.”
Philadelphia keeps losing in the second round, and they will have some interesting decisions to make in the offseason. First, Harden. He is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent. Next, they have to find a way to keep Embiid healthy in the playoffs, which has been a problem during his career. Finally, they have to find pieces to surround Embiid; however, because they are over the cap, that could be difficult, so getting to the next level will be challenging, but that’s why they brought in Nurse to make it happen.
76ers fire head coach Doc Rivers
After three straight seasons of losing in the second round of the playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers fired head coach Doc Rivers, the team announced Tuesday.
The 76ers had a 3-2 series lead against Boston and had an opportunity to put the Celtics away in Game 6 in Philadelphia, but they fell short, and ultimately were routed by the Celtics 112-88 in Game 7 on Sunday.
Rivers, 61, was named the 25th head coach in franchise history on October 2, 2020. He coached three seasons for Philadelphia, compiling a 154-82 (.653) regular-season record.
Rivers led the 76ers to a 54-28 regular season record this season, the team’s best since 2000-01.
“Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely,” 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said via press release. “We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.”
While he had some success, Rivers could not get past the second round, which caused his predecessor Brett Brown to lose his job.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the team’s search for a new coach is expected to include Mike Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, Mike D’Antoni, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, and Monty Williams.
Philly has an MVP in Joel Embiid, but James Harden, who can opt out of his contract, could be on the move, so there is some uncertainty with the 76ers, but you knew things would change in Philly, and it should be interesting to see how much more change will happen in the offseason.
76ers’ season ends in familiar place
The Philadelphia 76ers’ season ended in a familiar place, the second round, as they were blown out by the Celtics 112-88 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Sunday in Boston.
With the win, the Celtics move on to the Eastern Conference finals, and for the third straight season, the 76ers bow out in the second round.
Philly trailed 55-52 at halftime, but Boston outscored the Sixers 33-10 in the third quarter. Boston led by as many as 30 points.
For most of this series, the 76ers had an answer for Jayson Tatum, but in Game 7, he scored a Game 7 record 51 points, and Philly had no answer for him.
The 76ers’ two stars did not play like stars in Game 7. League MVP Joel Embiid had 15 on 5/18 shooting, and James Harden shot 3/11 and scored only nine points.
Now, Philly heads into the offseason with many more questions than answers.
Harden can opt out of his contract, which he probably will do, and become an unrestricted free agent. Many believe that he will go back to the Rockets. Harden was alright against Boston. He did have two 40-plus point games and won two games for the Sixers in this series(34.6 PPG in wins). However, in the four losses, Harden wasn’t very good(12.5 PPG); he’s no longer in his prime, but the 33-year-old is still a good player. However, the way the team is presently constructed, Harden may not be good enough for the 76ers to win a title.
The two players who are probably untouchable are Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Outside of that, all the players are available. Tobias Harris has an expiring contract, which could make him desirable.
Doc Rivers could also be on the move after failing to get this team out of the second round in the last three seasons. If they bring Rivers back, it’s not a bad thing, and moving on from Rivers would not be a bad option as well. Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey inherited Rivers, so he may want to bring in his own coach.
Embiid is a great player, but he’s always injured in the playoffs and wasn’t the same player in the playoffs. According to ESPN, Embiid, who battled a knee injury, averaged 33.1 PPG in the regular season and 23.7 PPG in the playoffs, which is the largest drop-off(9.4 PPG) by an MVP in league history.
However, if you move the 29-year-old, that signals a rebuild. Maybe he will learn from the losing and continue to grow as a player both physically and mentally.
Philly had a great chance to get to the Finals this season if they could have beaten Boston, but after having a 3-2 series lead, they blew it in Game 6 at home. That Game 6 loss will haunt this team in the offseason and maybe beyond.
Embiid named 2022-23 NBA Most Valuable Player
Joel Embiid is a special player who has had a memorable season, and that memorable season was recognized.
On Tuesday, the NBA announced today that Embiid has been named the 2022-23 NBA Most Valuable Player.
Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic finished second.
The six-time All-Star is the first 76er to capture league MVP honors since Allen Iverson did it in 2001, and the Cameroon native is the seventh international player to be named MVP.
Joel Embiid is the first player to win the Kia NBA MVP Award with the 76ers since Allen Iverson in the 2000-01 season.
Complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kko3o8tmxi
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 2, 2023
Currently, Embiid, who led the 76ers to a 54-28 regular season, the team’s best since 2000-01, is sidelined with a knee injury, but Philly was able to defeat the Celtics in Boston 119-115 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference second-round series on Monday night.
This season, the 29-year-old led the NBA in scoring for the second consecutive season, averaging 33.1 points and adding 10.2 rebounds per contest; he is the first NBA player to win consecutive scoring titles since teammate James Harden (three straight, 2017-20), and the third player in NBA history to average at least 33 points and 10.2 rebounds on 54% shooting from the floor.
Defensively, the six-year veteran posted 1.7 blocks (seventh in the NBA) and 1.0 steals per outing. He and 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. were the only two players in the league this season to average at least 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals.
76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris:
“I’ve watched Joel grow and evolve into one of the greatest players in 76ers franchise history over the last nine years. Today is a proud day for our organization as Joel becomes the fifth Sixer ever to capture League MVP honors. Joel overcame adversity at the start of his career with a combination of perseverance and grit, and now, his intense work ethic has pushed him into the NBA history books. It’s been a joy to watch him dedicate himself to the team and the city of Philadelphia. Congratulations to Joel, our fans, and our city on an honor we will always remember.”
76ers head coach Doc Rivers:
“Let me start by saying I am absolutely thrilled for Joel on winning the MVP award. He is the real deal and deserves every bit of recognition that comes his way. He embodies everything that the honor stands for. His drive to improve is unmatched, and like the saying ‘a dream doesn’t become reality through magic, it takes hard work’, he’s put in the work. What’s most impressive is the why. He puts in the work because he wants to be a winner. This MVP award is part of that journey. While this may be an individual award, in many ways it’s also a team award. Joel’s teammates have been unbelievable in contributing to his success. I couldn’t be prouder of all of them. It takes a village. From our staff, our coaches, our players and the entire organization, congratulations to the big fella.”
76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey:
“I’ve always believed that greatness emerges when talent meets relentless dedication. Joel’s season was legendary, and the MVP award is the latest milestone of his decorated career. His impact on both sides of the ball places him in rarified air among all-time greats such as Hakeem, Kareem and Wilt. It has been a privilege to watch Joel over the last three seasons and I know this won’t be his last accomplishment as we continue to strive toward our ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship.”
76ers’ Rivers: ‘I’m biased, but the MVP race is over’
If you had any doubts about who would be the MVP of the 2022-23 NBA season, those doubts might have been put to rest after what we saw on Tuesday night.
Against the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid was special! He finished with 52 points on 20-of-25 shooting, 13 rebounds, and six assists as the Philly defeated the Celtics for the first time in four games this season, 103-101 at Wells Fargo Center.
According to StatHead, Embiid joins Wilt Chamberlain (twice) as the only players in the history of the NBA with 50-10-5 on 80-percent-or-better shooting. In addition, Embiid has three 50-point double-doubles this season, tied for the most such games in the NBA this season.
76ers head coach Doc Rivers has seen enough; Embiid, not two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is the league MVP.
“We couldn’t make shots,” Rivers said. “We had guys making shots with open shots. The man scored half our points in an NBA game. And I’m biased, but the MVP race is over.”
Embiid agrees with Rivers but is also disappointed with how Philly, who was sloppy down the stretch, closed the game against the Celtics.
“They’re probably right, but we got bigger goals,” Embiid said. “Like I said, they’re probably right, but we got bigger goals in mind. You know, we understand we got a chance, but it’s not gonna be easy. Tonight, for me, was kind of disappointing because we found so many ways to lose the game, and that’s on all of us.”
At this point, Embiid, who is averaging a league-best 33.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks per contest, has made an excellent case for MVP, but so has Jokic. However, Embiid has the momentum and elevated his game to the next level, so to Rivers’ point, the race for MVP is over.
