Golden State can close the first-round series with a win Sunday afternoon in San Antonio in Game 4.
The Spurs were playing a day after the death of Erin Popovich, who passed away after battling an undisclosed long-term illness. Erin and Gregg Popovich were married four decades and had two children and two grandchildren.
San Antonio did not air a video tribute or hold a moment of silence for Erin in an apparent attempt to make the game as routine as possible for its players, but that was impossible.
Coach Popovich was not in his customary position roaming the sidelines, choosing instead to be with his family. San Antonio assistant Ettore Messina coached the team in Popovich’s place.
76ERS 128, HEAT 108
MIAMI (AP) – A masked Joel Embiid scored 23 points in his postseason debut [url=http://www.sanjosesharksteamshop.com/authentic-evander-kane-jersey]Evander Kane Sharks Jersey[/url] , Marco Belinelli and Dario Saric each added 21 and Philadelphia beat Miami to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Ben Simmons finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the 76ers, who won for the 18th time in their last 19 games and reclaimed home-court advantage. Embiid went on a personal 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to help Philadelphia extend its lead to 14, and send many in the crowd to the exits.
Goran Dragic scored 23 points for Miami, which got 19 from Justise Winslow and 14 from Josh Richardson.
Game 4 is Saturday afternoon.
PELICANS 119, TRAIL BLAZERS 102
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Nikola Mirotic scored a career playoff-best 30 points to go with eight rebounds, three steals and a block, and New Orleans beat Portland to take a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Anthony Davis had 28 points [url=http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/roquan-smith-jersey]Roquan Smith Bears Jersey[/url] , 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks for New Orleans, which can advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2008 with one more victory.
The 6-foot-10 Mirotic, acquired in a midseason trade after DeMarcus Cousins’ season-ending Achilles tear, made 12 of 15 shots, scoring on everything from quick-release 3-pointers to cutting dunks and fast-break layups.
Damian Lillard scored 20 for Portland, but also missed nine of 14 shots. CJ McCollum scored 22 and Al-Farouq Aminu added 21, but Portland trailed by double digits for most of the first half and all of the second.
Game 4 is Saturday.
Utah defensive lineman Lowell Lotulelei says Michigan defensive lineman Maurice Hurst Jr. told him Saturday that he had been diagnosed with the same heart condition as Lotulelei’s older brother [url=http://www.officialhockeyusashop.com/pittsburgh-penguins/derick-brassard-jersey]Derick Brassard Penguins Jersey[/url] , Star.The comments came shortly after ESPN.com first reported Hurst will not be allowed to participate in drills.
League spokesman Michael Signora confirmed that players can be held out based on certain diagnoses but that he believed Hurst was still in town.
Jeff Foster, president of National Football Scouting, declined to confirm details of what happened because of privacy concerns. But he did tell The Associated Press that six to eight players have been withheld from drills this year for reasons players were not aware of before their arrival.
Foster said that number has stayed relatively consistent over the past 13 years.
Hurst had been rising steadily on mock draft boards.
The 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle had 59 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks last season. He also had 13 tackles for loss and has been considered one component of a deep class of defensive tackles in this year’s draft.
Hurst’s father played seven seasons with the New England Patriots as a cornerback.
Word leaked just after defensive linemen and linebackers started talking to reporters at the NFL’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis.
”I just found out in the NFLPA meeting that we just had. He just said, `Star was your brother?’ And I said yeah. He’s like, `Man, I just got the same thing that he did,”’ Lowell Lotulelei told reporters. ”Obviously I didn’t go through it [url=http://www.sanfrancisco49ersteamonline.com/jimmy-garoppolo-jersey]Jimmy Garoppolo 49ers Jersey[/url] , so I don’t really know what he’s feeling like. But I kind of understand the disappointment just because my brother trained just like he trained and you’re expecting one thing and getting another. I feel for him. It sucks. But I think he’ll be fine just like my brother was.”
Five years ago, Star Lotulelei arrived at the combine as the expected first pick in that year’s draft.
Things changed dramatically after doctors identified an ”abnormal” test on his heart.
Lotulelei then sought additional opinions, eventually was cleared to exercise and was taken by Carolina with the 14th overall selection in the 2013 draft. He has missed only four games in five NFL seasons.
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