Round 1 of the NBA playoffs culminated with three Game 7s over the weekend. Joel Embiid scored 34 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a big win over the Boston Celtics, completing a comeback after being down 3-1 in the series. Our Rohan Nadkarni breaks down all the Game 7s below.
Also, our Sahil Kapur reported on the ground from Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix, where teenager Kimi Antonelli won his third straight F1 race. Below, Kapur has more on Cadillac entering the F1 mix.
For more coverage, as always, check out the NBC News website.
Is this the year Embiid exacts revenge on his biggest playoff foes?
Before this year’s playoffs, the Boston Celtics had defeated Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers in the postseason three times between 2018 and 2023. On Saturday, Embiid checked the Celtics off his list, scoring 34 points in a stirring Game 7 upset over Boston. Embiid came back from emergency appendix surgery mid-series, to help 76ers overcome a 3-1 series deficit.
Even though Philly led for virtually the entire 48 minutes, Game 7 was a nail-biter. It was a one-point game with 3:49 to go, but Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey scored 8 straight points to give the Sixers a late cushion to secure the win. Philadelphia will now play the New York Knicks in the second round, a rematch of a heated 2024 first-round series the Knicks won in six, during which Embiid played through Bell’s palsy.
“Sometimes I’ve been in those positions where I’ve come up short,” Embiid said after Saturday’s win. “I’ve always said it, you can’t win alone. You need a team.”
On Sunday, the first round concluded with two more Game 7s, as the Detroit Pistons completed its own 3-1 comeback over the Orlando Magic, and the Cleveland Cavaliers finally put away the pesky Toronto Raptors.
Not only did the Pistons come back in the series, Detroit had to overcome a 24-point deficit in Game 6 just to force a Game 7. Cade Cunningham was magnificent for the Pistons, averaging 36.3 points over the final three games of the series to avoid elimination.
And in Cleveland, the Cavs outlasted the Raptors thanks in large part to center Jarrett Allen, who scored 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in what was likely the finest playoff performance of his career.
At the Miami Grand Prix over the weekend, Formula 1 was buzzing with optimism about the growing American fan base. There are three races this season on American soil, a blockbuster new deal with Apple TV, and now a famous American car maker on the grid, Cadillac.
Dan Towriss, the CEO of the Cadillac F1 team, hopes the GM-backed squad can help take F1 to the next level here. “We just have to break into that mainstream sports conversation ... where everyday people are talking about what happened in Formula 1,” Towriss told reporters Friday in the paddock.
But starting an F1 team is a gargantuan task, a tale of slow progress from the back — not sudden first-place finishes.
“That’s a hard selling point. It’s Formula 1, the expectations are high,” Towriss said. “I think we just want to keep our head down, do our work and show a rate of progression … and create that upward trajectory. And eventually, that’s what people will start to notice.”
Cadillac has tapped American former IndyCar driver Colton Herta as a test driver. He’s also racing in Formula 2 this year.
“I don’t know that F2 performance per se is really a barometer for F1 readiness,” Towriss said, noting that Herta will drive the Cadillac F1 car in some practice sessions and provide data to the team. “We’ll see what his comfort level is, and so forth there.”
Cherie DeVaux visited the “TODAY” show, after becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.
An inside look at Philadelphia’s World Cup fan fest plans, from our Doha Madani.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown didn’t take the team’s Game 7 loss well. He accused the refs of having an “agenda,” and called out Embiid.
John Sterling, the longtime radio voice of the New York Yankees, died at 87.
High school running back Deuce Jones-Drew, the son of former NFL running back Maurice, committed to UCLA, the same school his father played for.
The second round of the NBA playoffs tips off tonight, with two exciting games on Peacock. First, the Knicks and 76ers renew their rivalry. Philadelphia is coming off a grueling seven-game series with Boston, so expect New York to have an early edge.
Also, watch the crowds throughout the series. These cities are so close in proximity that opposing fans may try to infiltrate one another’s arenas.
Then, in the nightcap, the big question is Anthony Edwards’ status for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s been out with a knee injury, but he’s only listed as “questionable” on Minnesota’s injury report, which cracks open the door to a potential return.
If he’s out, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will hope to capitalize.
All times are Eastern:
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
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