PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey sat on his locker room chair and yelled loud enough after Philadelphia beat Miami in a play-in tournament game to welcome one of the newest 76ers to the postseason club.
“Buddy Hield! Welcome to the playoffs!” Maxey said.
Indeed, Hield is set to make his NBA postseason debut — and all it took was 632 regular-season games plus one more bonus game Wednesday night in the 76ers' 105-104 win over the Heat.
The 31-year-old Hield held the dubious distinction of most NBA games without a playoff appearance by an active player.
“I'm just glad we got the win,” Hield said. “I'm glad I go to the playoffs for the first time. I'm ready.”
He played 57 games with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016-17 and 385 games with the Sacramento Kings. He played 158 games with the Indiana Pacers before he was traded to the 76ers at this season's trade deadline for Marcus Morris Jr., Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round draft picks. He played the final 32 games with the Sixers.
Because of the trade, Hield actually played 84 games this season. He also played for the Pacers in the In-Season Tournament title game in December, Game 85 which didn't count toward the official total. Game No. 86 pushed him into the playoffs. He hit a 3-pointer when the Sixers rallied from 14 down and finished with seven points.
“I think it's something pretty cool,” coach Nick Nurse said. “Pretty cool to be able to do that, especially in this day and age.”
Hield has been one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA for years in both volume and makes. He hit at least 260 in four straight seasons with the Kings and made a career-high 288 last season with the Pacers.
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Philadelphia 76ers' Buddy Hield (17) celebrates after a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier scored goals and the Nashville Predators kept their season alive with a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
Filip Forsberg assisted on both goals and Juuse Saros made 19 saves as the Predators narrowed their deficit in the best-of-seven matchup to 3-2.
Nikita Zadorov scored for the Canucks and rookie goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 20 shots.
The series returns to Nashville for Game 6 on Friday night.
Predators coach Andrew Brunette said his top players knew they needed to step up.
“All year they’ve kind of done it. Proud of them, the resiliency they showed. It was tough,” he said. “It’s been a tough series to create a whole lot, they’re offensive guys. But they stuck with it, and the message was it might take forever to get it, but keep pounding on the door, and I thought they did a really good job just staying true to themselves."
The Canucks had a chance to earn a few days rest, but instead, the team is taking another trip to Tennessee.
“It just sucks. We had a chance to close them out at home with a lead,” said Canucks forward J.T. Miller.
“The margins are obviously close and every little mistake is going to cost you this time of year. It is what it is. It’s going to be a hard-fought series. We didn’t think coming in that it was going to be a five-gamer. And (the Predators) played well tonight.”
Vancouver poured on the pressure early, creating a flurry of chances in the game’s opening minutes.
Ryan McDonagh tried to beat the 23-year-old Silovs with a drag move midway through the first period, but the goalie reached up and snatched the puck out of the air.
Vancouver’s best chance of the first came in the final seconds when Miller bolted out of the penalty box, collected the puck for a breakaway, and sent a wrist shot just wide of the net.
The Predators came into the second with a burst of offensive force, and outshot the home side 11-4 in the period.
Cole Smith unleashed a one-timer from the middle of the faceoff circle 33 seconds into the frame, hitting the top of Silovs’ blocker. The goalie watched the rebound drop to the ice and pounced to cover it up.
Midway through the second, Nashville got another prime chance, this time while down a man.
With Anthony Beauvillier in the box for hooking, Kiefer Sherwood streaked down the ice on a short-handed breakaway but his shot hit the post.
Vancouver went 0 for 2 on the power play Tuesday while Nashville was 1 for 4.
The Canucks broke through 3:11 into the third period when Zadorov fired a sharp-angle shot under the crossbar from just above the goal line.
The Predators evened the score with a power-play goal 7:15 into the third after Dakota Joshua was called for boarding.
Silovs stopped Josi on a breakaway, freezing the puck under his body, only to be pushed into the net, with the puck squirting lose and skittering across the goal line.
Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he thought about challenging for goaltender interference but wasn’t confident the call would go his way.
The goal snapped the Canucks’ streak of 17 successful penalty kills.
Nashville took the lead 12:46 into the third when Carrier, using a screen from Ryan O’Reilly, blasted a shot past Silovs from just inside the blue line.
“He’s a heart and soul kid, highly competitive. Love him,” Brunette said of Carrier. “Nice to see him get rewarded in a big-time moment and a big-time play.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, back center, Carson Soucy (7), Conor Garland (8) and Teddy Blueger (53) watch from the bench after the team was called back out to play the final 0.6 seconds during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov (91) celebrates his goal with teammates, from left to right, Pius Suter, J.T. Miller, Ian Cole and Brock Boeser as Nashville Predators' Tyson Barrie skates by during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros, bottom, stops Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser, middle, as he is checked by Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier, from left to right, Ryan O'Reilly, Roman Josi, Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg celebrate Carrier's goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros (74) celebrates with Kiefer Sherwood (44) and the rest of the team after defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators players celebrate with goalie Juuse Saros (74) as Vancouver Canucks' Elias Lindholm (23) and Brock Boeser (6) skate off the ice after Nashville defeated Vancouver in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Canucks' Pius Suter (24) celebrates a goal by Nikita Zadorov, not seen, against Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros (74) during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier (45) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
