PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons shined again in front of rapper Meek Mill, and the dominant duo ushered the nightmares-into-dreams Process of the Philadelphia 76ers into the second round with a 104-91 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
The 76ers, winners of 10 games just two seasons ago, are in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2012.
They await the winner of Milwaukee-Boston. The Celtics lead the series 3-2.
The Sixers won the series 4-1 and turned the Wells Fargo Center into the wildest house party in the city. Embiid had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Simmons had 14 points and 10 boards, and the entire team had rappers, politicians, actors and kids dancing along for the ride.
Mill made a dramatic return hours after Pennsylvania’s highest court ordered him freed while he appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions.
He was taken from prison by helicopter to Philadelphia, where he rang the ceremonial bell at the start of Game 5.
NOTES
CAVALIERS: Point guard George Hill is questionable for Wednesday’s crucial Game 5 against Indiana because of back spasms.
Hill has been dealing with back problems since the series opener, when he was flattened by an illegal screen by Pacers forward Trevor Booker.
Cavaliers Coach Tyronn Lue says Hill was limited to shooting drills during Tuesday’s practice and will start if he can play.
Jose Calderon started Game 4 at Indianapolis and scored five points in 19 minutes as the Cavaliers evened the series at 2-2.
Hill is averaging 8.7 points and 1.7 assists in his first postseason with Cleveland, which acquired him at the trade deadline.
THUNDER: Russell Westbrook has been fined $10,000 and assessed a postgame technical foul for initiating a confrontation with Jazz center Rudy Gobert on Monday.
Westbrook came on as a substitution following a stoppage with 7:55 left in the fourth quarter of a 113-96 Game 4 loss to the Jazz. He intervened in an incident between Gobert and Thunder point guard Raymond Felton.
PELICANS: New Orleans says it has voided around 2,500 playoff tickets that were purchased improperly during a pre-sale event for the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The club says the event was designed exclusively for season-tickets holders, but that codes provided for online purchases were shared with people who were not eligible for the promotion.
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