A nod to Embiid | Sports Daily Newsletter
Jokić shows respect for the Sixers big man.
There is no doubt who the brightest star in the NBA galaxy is these days.
Nikola Jokić is averaging a triple-double this postseason for the Denver Nuggets, who are fresh off a sweep of the Lakers and are the heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals.
Jokić won the league’s MVP award in 2021 and 2022, and some folks were wondering why he did not win it again this season — especially after Joel Embiid turned into a pumpkin in the playoffs.
Denver’s big man is not one of those Embiid critics, though. “People are just mean in saying that Embiid shouldn’t have won it,” Jokić said. “I think he should [have] won it. I think he was playing, if you watch it, extremely, extremely, tough basketball through the whole season.”
Don’t forget that the 76ers center won a second straight scoring title by averaging 33.1 points this season and also averaged 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.
Most important: The MVP award is for the regular season, so pay no attention to that ugly finish (again!) to Embiid’s postseason.
“I don’t want to say that playoffs doesn’t mean anything in that, but he was really amazing in 82 games or how many games he played,” said Jokić, who is very much in the running for another award: NBA Finals MVP.
— Jim Swan, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Another day, another development in the 76ers’ coaching search. The Sixers interviewed Frank Vogel, a Wildwood Crest native with ties to the franchise. He has emerged as one of the top candidates, along with former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse and former Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. All three have championship experience, which is something the Sixers covet after failing to make it to the NBA Finals in three seasons with Doc Rivers.
Brandon Marsh was slated to return Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park after not starting two games against left-handed pitchers. But the Phillies scratched the slumping center fielder from the lineup against Arizona with what they called right shoulder inflammation.
The Phillies characterized Marsh’s status as “day to day.”
Wednesday’s matinee game against the Phillies will be a homecoming for Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, who will oppose Ranger Suárez. A Bishop Eustace graduate, Gallen ranks third in the NL in strikeouts.
The Phillies may be streaky both ways this season, but Bryson Stott has shown improvement at the plate under hitting coach Kevin Long.
The Phillies tied it up in the seventh but fell short Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks.
Next: The Phillies host the Diamondbacks on Wednesday (1:05 p.m., NBC10).
The Flyers have been looking for a bona fide No. 1 goalie for what feels like forever. They hope they finally have their man in young Carter Hart, but another former Flyers netminder’s play in the playoffs reminds them of a major misstep of years gone by.
That goalie is Sergei Bobrovsky, who has backstopped the upstart Florida Panthers to within a game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Bobrovsky, who played for the Flyers between 2010-12, has been sensational for the Panthers and is one of the top-two Conn Smythe Trophy favorites.
We took a look back at Bobrovsky’s two seasons in Philly and the circumstances that led to the organization trading him one season before he won the first of his two Vezina trophies.
Jim Brown, remembered after his passing as one of the greatest NFL players in history, was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1957 draft. The Eagles had the next pick and drafted fullback Clarence Peaks. While Peaks didn’t end up a Hall of Famer like Brown did, he did play seven seasons for the Eagles. Peaks was part of the team’s 1960 NFL championship team, but was star-crossed, missing the big game because of injury.
The Denver Broncos have released kicker Brandon McManus, a former Temple standout.
Worth a look
Team USA calls: Friends’ Central’s Logyn Greer, Westtown’s Jordyn Palmer, and Wyncote native Taylor Brown will try out for the under-16 team.
In the trenches: Downingtown’s two high schools keep producing college-bound offensive linemen.
Out of the running: U.S. star Catarina Macario ruled herself out of the Women’s World Cup while she recovers from a knee injury.
unCovering the Birds with Jeff McLane: Ep 9: Face of the Franchise
There’s nothing harder to find in professional sports than a franchise quarterback. It’s a pursuit that all 32 NFL teams obsess over. The Eagles, though, are convinced that for the second time in less than a decade, they’ve got their guy, and are willing to pay a hefty price to keep him around for the long term. But after whiffing on Carson Wentz’s contract extension in 2019, why is the Eagles’ brain trust of owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman convinced that this time, in Jalen Hurts, they’ve got it right? What makes them believe Hurts is capable of living up to the massive expectations of his new megadeal, and delivering the city another Super Bowl title? Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane pulls back the curtain on Hurts’ rapid ascent, and the questions the 24-year old faces as he moves forward in his career.
Trivia time answer
Ahead of Craig Kimbrel’s 400 saves milestone, which reliever has the most saves for the Phillies?
Answer: A: Jonathan Papelbon is the career saves leader with 123. Mark P. was first with the correct answer.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Mike Sielski, Gustav Elvin, Scott Lauber, Alex Coffey, Devin Jackson, Joey Piatt, Isabella DiAmore, and Jonathan Tannenwald.