Bruised and battered, here come the Sixers | Sports Daily Newsletter

Perhaps Inquirer writer Jason Nark said it best in his recent tale of the Philadelphia Sports Superquad Saturday:

The Sixers are definitely the franchise I’m most excited about in 2022, and yet that also fills me with dread every time I see center Joel Embiid land awkwardly or wince. He is a basketball god, for sure, a beloved giant the city has rallied around. We live and die by him.

As goes Embiid, so go the Sixers.

It was tough, even with the team holding a three-game advantage against the Raptors, to see The Process wincing repeatedly on Saturday in a fitful Game 4 when no one else on the team really stepped up to take some pressure off a center who clearly wasn’t at his best.

The rest the biggest Sixer sorely needed won’t be granted until the team manages to finish off Toronto. At least there will be supportive home fans to help that task along in Game 5 on Monday night, even if half of them will be holding their breath every time Embiid’s injured right thumb gets banged up on a play.

— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport

Tell us which player you believe can step up for the Sixers, and how, in Game 5: sports.daily@inquirer.com

The Eagles’ launch of a girls’ high school flag football league not only has led to participation opportunities for a new generation of players, but also has everyone thinking big. There’s a push to have enough teams playing so that girls’ football becomes a high school-sanctioned sport. And if you talk to the players, they each have a vision of what the future holds for girls in the sport. Eagles beat writer Josh Tolentino has a look at the league that’s leading to touchdown celebrations and the celebrations of girls in football for teams across the region.

The Eagles are also looking toward the future with the NFL draft this week, and Tolentino as well as columnist Marcus Hayes examine the first-round possibilities. Hayes takes a stab at how the first few rounds might go.

Thursday marks the 10-year anniversary of Bryce Harper’s major-league debut with the Nationals. Can it really be 10 years? The Phillies superstar isn’t even 30. He’s younger than 10 of his 28 teammates on the active roster entering this past weekend. How is it that he has been in the majors longer than any of them save for 32-year-old reliever Brad Hand? Scott Lauber talked to a veteran player who was there to witness and mentor a 19-year-old Harper and help prepare him for a stellar major-league career.

Harper, who has been dealing with a sore right elbow, will resume throwing Tuesday but is unlikely to be back in right field this week.

Miguel Cabrera joined the 3,000-hit club on Saturday, and Phillies manager Joe Girardi was there for another remarkable feat by the future Hall of Famer.

The Phillies’ three-game series with the Brewers ended with a bang Sunday night. Kyle Schwarber was ejected after he erupted following a called third strike in a 1-0 loss.

Next: The Phillies open a four-game home series against the Rockies at 6:45 p.m. Monday. Kyle Gibson will start against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (NBCSP+).

The 76ers’ worst fears were confirmed on Sunday when an MRI revealed that Joel Embiid suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb. Embiid, who believes he suffered the injury during Game 3 against Toronto, will continue to play through the injury, which will require surgery during the offseason.

For the second straight year, Embiid has suffered an injury in the first round of the playoffs. And as David Murphy wrote, the Sixers must reinvent themselves around an Embiid injury.

Coach Doc Rivers is not thrilled with how the Sixers keep falling behind in the first half.

Next: The Sixers will play Game 5 against the Raptors at 8 p.m. Monday at the Wells Fargo Center with hopes of closing out the series (NBCSP).

The Flyers’ season, which is close to the end, has been mostly a bust, with any playoff possibilities far off in the rearview mirror. However, if the latest game is any indication, the kids are all right and there is hope for the future.

The Flyers knocked off their longtime rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Next: The Flyers visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday at 8 p.m. (Hulu).

The good news for the Union is that one of their new strikers is off to an excellent start in league play. Julián Carranza has three goals in a balanced scoring distribution of finishing with his right foot, left foot, and head. The not-so-good news for the Union is that he’s not the striker the Union paid the really big money for this offseason. That’s Mikael Uhre, and he has yet to score.

Of course, scoring isn’t everything, but for a forward, it’s a main element of the position. It’s also an issue for the Union that their attack has stalled of late. The team has only one loss this season, but it has gone two games now without scoring from the run of play.

Jonathan Tannenwald takes a look at the Union’s latest game — a home draw against Montreal — and at the aftermath of the lessons learned.

In 1933, Phillies player Dick Bartell became the first major-league player to get four consecutive doubles in nine innings.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Gina Mizell, Jason Nark, Zech Lambert, Josh Tolentino, Marcus Hayes, Jonathan Tannenwald, Olivia Reiner, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, and David Murphy.