With their feet firmly on the gas pedal
http://www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dante-pettis-jersey , the Philadelphia 76ers head into their final game of the season riding their biggest winning streak in team history.
The only thing standing between the 76ers and the all-important No. 3 seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoff race: The Milwaukee Bucks, who travel to Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center for a game Wednesday.
With a win or a Cleveland loss to New York on Wednesday, the 76ers lock up the third spot. With a loss and a Cavaliers win, Philadelphia slips to the fourth spot, which means a probable second-round matchup with top-seed Toronto.
And the Sixers have done all this without Joel Embiid for the last two weeks, after their center went down with an orbital bone fracture, which may keep him out for the first games of the playoffs.
“We really haven’t blinked,” 76ers coach Brett Brown told Yahoo Sports. “I feel like the confidence I had was born out of facts and stats and certainly gut feel. The needle is moving a direction that sort of makes you feel good about the underbelly of the program.”
The 76ers enter the matchup riding a 15-game winning streak after a 121-113 victory at Atlanta on Tuesday. J.J. Redick had 28 points, and Ersan Ilyasova had 26 and Marco Belinelli had 20 points off the bench against the Hawks.
Ben Simmons, who is averaging nearly a triple-double since the beginning of March
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“Especially because it’s the last regular-season game,” Simmons said. “For me, I want to come out and make a statement that we are ready. Obviously we’re without (Joel Embiid) again, but we still have a great team.”
It’s not as if the Bucks have nothing to play for, however.
With a win or a Miami Heat loss to the Raptors on Wednesday, the Bucks can lock up the No. 6 seed and a first-round matchup with, yes, the 76ers. Ordinarily
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But with the second-seeded Boston Celtics facing myriad injuries, including Kyrie Irving’s season-ending knee surgery, a lower seed may prove more beneficial.
“I’m not going to lose any sleep because, like I said, we put ourselves in a position to where we’re in a pretty good position to determine where we want to be if that’s what we want to do,” Bucks center John Henson told reporters. “But we want to be the highest seed possible. That’s the goal.”
The Bucks meet the 76ers with a two-game winning streak and wins in three of four, with a surprising loss to Brooklyn on Thursday. Milwaukee defeated the Orlando Magic 102-86 on Monday. The Bucks outscored Orlando 57-44 in the second half, with Giannis Antetokounmpo out (ankle). His status is questionable for Wednesday.
“We definitely know we can’t win the whole thing without (Antetokounmpo),” Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe told reporters. “But at the same time, we’ve got a lot of confident guys in the room
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No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers that includes a $7.5 million signing bonus, the highest for any drafted player since 2011.
Detroit didn’t go into much detail about its 2018 plan for Mize, but it certainly sounds as if he’ll pitch in the organization at some point soon.
”We pretty much know what we’re going to do,” said Scott Pleis, the team’s director of amateur scouting. ”We’re going to figure that out – how many innings, how that’s going to work out, when he’s going to do it. So all the stuff will be mapped out.”
Alex Faedo, a right-hander drafted by the Tigers in the first round last year, did not start his minor league career until this season. He’s at Double-A Erie now.
In 17 starts at Auburn this year, Mize went 10-6 with a 3.30 ERA. The 6-foot-3 junior averaged 12.24 strikeouts per nine innings. The Tigers took him with the No. 1 draft pick earlier this month . His bonus in the highest for a player since Aug. 15
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Mize’s bonus is below his $8,096,300 slot value. In three seasons at Auburn, Mize went 20-13 with a 2.96 ERA, 324 strikeouts and 43 walks.
The Tigers also agreed with Texas second baseman Kody Clemens, the youngest son of seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens, on a deal with a $600,000 signing bonus. Detroit took him in the third round.
Shortly after Detroit announced the deal with Mize, the Tigers held a news conference with him at Comerica Park. He also had a chance to go on the field and interact with players.
”A little nervous to even go play catch
Alex Colome Seattle Mariners Jersey ,” Mize said. ”I felt a part of it a little bit, which was an awesome feeling. Even stepping in the dugout, and kind of just seeing the stadium. I don’t know – it was really cool.”
Mize was asked about any players he may have tried to emulate growing up. His answer never played for the Tigers – but it’s someone who did go to high school in Michigan.
”There is a guy that I grew up idolizing, but he’s not a pitcher,” Mize said. ”I loved Derek Jeter growing up, because I played shortstop as well.”
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