Sports
Struggling Heat need to regain past form vs. Wizards
Mar 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) reaches for the basketball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Playing the second leg of a back-to-back, the Miami Heat look to rebound from an overtime loss when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday.
Miami squandered a 19-point lead on Sunday, managing only 43 points in the second half and seven points in overtime of its 116-112 setback versus New York. The loss dropped the Heat to 3-7 over the last 10 games, as they continued to slide behind Detroit in contention for the Eastern Conference’s last guaranteed playoff spot.
Miami sits five games behind the Pistons for sixth place with only 23 dates left in the Heat’s regular-season docket.
Versatile wing Jaime Jaquez Jr., who is averaging 9.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while also serving as one of Miami’s top defenders, missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. His timetable for return is uncertain.
Recent addition Andrew Wiggins also missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Since joining the Heat last month in a multiple-part trade that sent five-time All-NBA wing Jimmy Butler to Golden State, Wiggins is averaging 17.8 points per game.
“He loves the competitive feel of these last couple games,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters on Sunday about Wiggins wanting to be in the lineup despite the injury. “But we have to be smart about it. He’s been very diligent with his work and we’ll get him back soon.”
Washington, meanwhile, is a winner in two of its last three after losing the previous six straight games. On Saturday, the Wizards won the first in a stretch playing 9-of-10 on the road with a 113-100 defeat of Charlotte.
Eight Wizards scored in double figures, led by Bilal Coulibaly and recently acquired Khris Middleton with 17 points apiece. Middleton’s performance was his highest-scoring showing since being traded to Washington in a deal that sent Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee last month.
“He’s been doing this for a very long time,” Washington coach Brian Keefe said of the three-time All-Star Middleton. “He’s just getting his legs with us and learning some of the places he’s going to get to his (shooting) spots. That’s what this guy does; he’s a professional.”
Although Middleton is averaging only 12.4 points per game in 27 games played between his tenures in Milwaukee and Washington this season, missing significant time due to injury, he is a career 16.7 point-per-game producer.
The Wizards need all the offense they can muster, ranking near the bottom of the NBA with 108.4 points scored per game. Jordan Poole, Washington’s leading scorer for the season at 21 points per game, had performances of 26 and 24 points before missing Saturday’s affair with an elbow injury.
Coulibaly has provided an uptick in scoring over the last three games, including 20 points in the Feb. 24 win over Brooklyn. The second-year wingman has scored more than his 12.6-point per game season average in each of the past three outings.
The Washington offense faces a tall task generating points against Miami’s stifling defense. Despite the Heat’s recent struggles, their 110.9-point per game yield ranks seventh in the NBA.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Late penalty extends New England's unbeaten streak vs. Charlotte
May 2, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Luca Langoni (41) dribbles the ball against Charlotte FC midfielder Djibril Diani (28) in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Edward Finan-Imagn Images Carles Gil’s 97th-minute penalty kick lifted the New England Revolution to a tense 1-0 victory over Charlotte FC Saturday night in Foxborough, Mass.
The Revolution (6-3-1, 19 points) broke through during stoppage time after several minutes marked by defensive gridlock. The win extends the Revs’ unbeaten streak to six league games.
Matt Turner made three saves and kept a clean sheet for the Revolution, who outshot Charlotte (4-5-2, 14 points) 14-7. Charlotte keeper Kristijan Kahlina made three saves.
The Revs faced late drama when Charlotte’s Brandt Bronico was called for a handball in the box in the dying minutes of stoppage time, and the referee failed to call an advantage on the play, which would’ve counted Diego Fagundez’s goal.
However, Gil calmly sent Kahlina the wrong way and scored the ensuing penalty to give the Revs the late winner. The goal is Gil’s third of the season.
Charlotte manager Dean Smith has faced many questions about his team’s misfiring offense, and they remain unanswered. The team’s usually prolific offense struggled to create chances in the final third, and when they did, they failed to convert.
Charlotte’s biggest chance of the first half came when Idan Toklomati received the ball just 16 yards away from the goal with a clear shot. However, Toklomati slammed his shot against the crossbar, leaving the game scoreless in the 37th minute.
The two sides struggled to challenge each other throughout the match, settling for long-range, low-quality shots.
Charlotte’s Wilfried Zaha and Revs defender Mamadou Fofana had to be separated by teammates after a brief shouting match and a couple of shoves in the second half. Zaha, who then argued with New England manager Marko Mitrovic, was booked. The yellow card is his sixth in just nine league appearances.
Charlotte nearly found an equalizer in the game’s dying minutes when Morrison Agyemang headed a shot from short range. The shot seemed destined for the upper corner of the net, but Turner deflected the ball to preserve the Revs’ victory.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Joel Embiid, 76s knock out second-seeded Celtics
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives on Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) during the second quarter of game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Joel Embiid had 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and Tyrese Maxey added 30 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 109-100 victory over the host Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Saturday night.
The 76ers won the final three games in the series. It was the first time in franchise history that Philadelphia has overcome a 3-1 series deficit.
Second-seeded Boston trailed 99-98 following two Neemias Queta free throws, but Maxey scored the next eight points to put Philadelphia up 107-98 with 15 seconds left.
Seventh-seeded Philadelphia received 23 points from rookie VJ Edgecombe. Paul George added 13. The 76ers’ bench totaled three points (all by Quentin Grimes.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum was ruled out of the game because of stiffness in his left knee. He left Game 6 with 4:03 remaining in the third quarter with a left leg injury.
Tatum averaged 23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest in six playoff games this season. The six-time All-Star forward averaged 21.8 points and 10.0 boards in 16 regular-season games after returning March 6 from a devastating ruptured right Achilles tendon last May in the playoffs.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points and added nine rebounds. Derrick White finished with 26 points and Queta had 17 points and a team-high 12 rebounds off the bench. Celtics starters Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza and Ron Harper Jr. failed to score. Reserves Payton Pritchard added 13 points and Sam Houser 11.
Philadelphia scored the game’s first nine points and led 30-15 following an Embiid jumper with 1:55 left in the opening quarter. The 76ers were up 32-19 after 12 minutes.
Boston scored 18 of the first 22 points in the second quarter and had its first lead, 37-36 after a Pritchard 3-pointer with 6:52 left in the first half. Philadelphia rallied to take a 55-50 halftime advantage.
An 8-0 run gave Philadelphia a 63-52 lead, and the 76ers were up 84-66 after an Edgecombe 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining in the third. It was 88-75 after three quarters.
Boston began the fourth quarter with a 16-4 run to cut its deficit to one point, 92-91, with 7:59 to play. The 76ers led 95-94 with 5:52 left.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Joel Embiid, 76ers knock out second-seeded Celtics
May 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives on Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) during the second quarter of game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Joel Embiid had 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and Tyrese Maxey added 30 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 109-100 victory over the host Boston Celtics in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Saturday night.
The 76ers won the final three games in the series. It was the first time in franchise history that Philadelphia has overcome a 3-1 series deficit.
Second-seeded Boston trailed 99-98 following two Neemias Queta free throws, but Maxey scored the next eight points to put Philadelphia up 107-98 with 15 seconds left.
Seventh-seeded Philadelphia received 23 points from rookie VJ Edgecombe. Paul George added 13. The 76ers’ bench totaled three points (all by Quentin Grimes.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum was ruled out of the game because of stiffness in his left knee. He left Game 6 with 4:03 remaining in the third quarter with a left leg injury.
Tatum averaged 23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest in six playoff games this season. The six-time All-Star forward averaged 21.8 points and 10.0 boards in 16 regular-season games after returning March 6 from a devastating ruptured right Achilles tendon last May in the playoffs.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points and added nine rebounds. Derrick White finished with 26 points and Queta had 17 points and a team-high 12 rebounds off the bench. Celtics starters Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza and Ron Harper Jr. failed to score. Reserves Payton Pritchard added 13 points and Sam Houser 11.
Philadelphia scored the game’s first nine points and led 30-15 following an Embiid jumper with 1:55 left in the opening quarter. The 76ers were up 32-19 after 12 minutes.
Boston scored 18 of the first 22 points in the second quarter and had its first lead, 37-36 after a Pritchard 3-pointer with 6:52 left in the first half. Philadelphia rallied to take a 55-50 halftime advantage.
An 8-0 run gave Philadelphia a 63-52 lead, and the 76ers were up 84-66 after an Edgecombe 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining in the third. It was 88-75 after three quarters.
Boston began the fourth quarter with a 16-4 run to cut its deficit to one point, 92-91, with 7:59 to play. The 76ers led 95-94 with 5:52 left.
–Field Level Media
Late penalty extends New England's unbeaten streak vs. Charlotte
Joel Embiid, 76s knock out second-seeded Celtics
