The chants for r1;TJ! TJ!r1; grew louder each time T.J. McConnell darted through the lane for an easy basket or buried a 3 to build an insurmountable lead for the 76ers. He wore a sheepish look as teammates rubbed his head on the bench in appreciation Semyon Varlamov Jersey , the big moment due on an undrafted guard who plugged a role in the early Process days and morphed into a surprise postseason savior.
McConnell turned an eye-popping start into the save of the season and Dario Saric scored 25 points to help Philadelphia stave off elimination in a 103-92 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 on Monday night.
r1;If I saw a lane, I took it. If I had an open shot, I would try and take it,r1; McConnell said.
Easy enough.
Yet the Sixers still face daunting odds headed into Game 5 and trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals: No NBA team has ever won a series down 3-0.
McConnell had a career-high 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists in only his second start of the season and meshed well in the backcourt with Ben Simmons. The crowd chanted his initials each time he touched the ball in the fourth and he proved why he has been so valuable even as bigger stars have sliced his playing time.
He was just what coach Brett Brown needed in a must-win game.
r1;I can tell you the Philadelphia 76ers spirit is just fine,r1; Brown said.
With NBA teams down 3-0 having lost all 129 series, the Sixers may need more than spirit to pull off this stunner.
Joel Embiid had 15 points and 13 rebounds and Simmons had 19 points and 13 boards.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 20 points and Marcus Morris had 17.
The Sixers spent the second half in control in what could be their last home game of the season.
Embiid was still in the mix in his mask, stirring it up with any Celtic within his wingspan. He chirped at Marcus Morris in the third and the Celtics forward flashed a r1;3-0r1; with his hands. McConnell buried a 3 for a 14-point lead that would soon make that combination obsolete.
The r1;TJ!r1; chants soon echoed throughout the Wells Fargo Center.
r1;It was a pretty special moment,r1; McConnell said of the chants. r1;I think we have the best fans in the NBA. Theyr17;ve been here through the dark times and theyr17;ve certainly been here on our rise.r1;
So has McConnell.
Brown was desperate to spark the Sixers and benched slumping forward Robert Covington (0 for 14 combined in Games 1 and 3) for McConnell. McConnell had started 68 games combined over the last two seasons and served as an example of the type of player The Process was built on. He was an underdog, a hustler, a court general averaging 6.5 points that made him a reliable favorite for Brown. But Simmonsr17; emergence put McConnell on the bench, and without complaint.
With a chance to shine, McConnell zipped inside for easy buckets Devan Dubnyk Jersey , made the extra pass to keep the offense rolling and made the dive for loose balls.
r1;How do I help my stars be stars because at the end of the day thatr17;s what we need,r1; Brown said. r1;Thatr17;s my job.r1;
He turned to McConnell, thatr17;s how.
The anticipation of elimination and a 6 p.m. EDT tip sharply cut into attendance and the game had more of an early-season feel until Embiid and Terry Rozier shook everyone up with pushing and shoving late in the first half. Embiid tried to strip the ball from Rozier after the whistle. Rozier tightened his grip and Embiid slapped at the ball again. The 6-foot-1 Rozier shoved the 7-2 Embiid in the chest with his right hand and the two quickly had to be separated.
r1;He tried to punch me twice. Too bad her17;s so short he couldnr17;t get to my face,r1; Embiid said.
Rozier and Embiid were hit with Ts. Then they each hit 3s.
Embiid buried one that had the crowd buzzing until Rozier came right back and hit his own.
The Celtics took a punch r11; but they can still finish it Wednesday at home.
r1;Finish the game. Get it done,r1; Bostonr17;s Jaylen Brown said. r1;Advance and do what we were supposed to do.r1;
TIP-INS
Celtics: G Shane Larkin left with a left shoulder injury in the first quarter. r30; Markieff Morris of the Wizards was in the stands to support twin brother Marcus. The brothers are Philly natives.
Sixers: Covington still hit the bench early in the second quarter with three quick fouls. r30; Missed 10 of 14 3s in the first half.
MAN DOWN
The Celtics could be even more of a threat had Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward not been lost this season to injury.
r1;Therer17;s not a coach in the world that wouldnr17;t want everybody available,r1; coach Brad Stevens said. r1;I think that obviously wer17;d be better with those guys. Theyr17;re very good players. Both unselfish players. But I really like this group and those guys are still a part of that.r1;
CONFETTI BENCHED
The Sixers scrapped their traditional confetti cannon celebration after it was prematurely shot at the end of regulation in a Game 3 overtime loss.
r12;
Terrelle Pryor is hoping for a Big-Apple bounce-back with the Jets.
The former Washington wide receiver signed with New York after one disappointing season with the Redskins.
The Jets announced the signing Sunday. Terms of the deal, which were agreed to on Thursday night, were not immediately known.
Pryor had free agent visits with both New York and Seattle, and also had interest from Cleveland, before he agreed to sign with the Jets.
r1;Ir17;m so happy to be a part of this organization and this team, this young team,r1; Pryor said in a video posted on the teamr17;s Twitter page . r1;Ir17;m excited. Itr17;s time to get to work. Jet up!r1;
Pryor, who turns 29 in June Craig Anderson Jersey , gives the Jets some depth at wide receiver, where they also have Jermaine Kearse, Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson, along with second-year pros Chad Hansen and ArDarius Stewart.
Andersonr17;s status is uncertain, however, after he was arrested in Florida in January on several charges, including threatening a police officerr17;s family and saying he would rape the officerr17;s wife. He was also arrested last May and charged with resisting arrest after sparring with officials who asked him to leave a Miami music festival.
His hearing has been postponed until August.
r1;I am really hopeful Robby will put this thing behind him and be the kind of all-around person that will make people proud to wear (his) No. 11 jersey,r1; Jets acting owner Christopher Johnson said Sunday at the NFL meetings.
r1;I havenr17;t talked with the coaches about Robby. I honestly think he is remorseful and trying to get himself in a better place. I believe him.r1;
Pryor signed a one-year, $6 million deal with Washington last year after having a breakout season with Cleveland in 2016, when he had 77 catches for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns in his first year as a full-time wide receiver. He was being counted on to replace the departed receiving duo of Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, but injured an ankle in Week 2 and tried to play through it. He finished the year on injured reserve and had ankle surgery, ending the season with just 20 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown.
He had more than three catches in a game just once last year r11; in the season opener r11; and Washington allowed Pryor to leave as a free agent. The former Ohio State quarterback-turned-receiver now has a chance to return to form as a potential deep threat for the Jets in new coordinator Jeremy Batesr17; offense.
This marks the latest stop in what has been a wild football journey for Pryor Authentic Artturi Lehkonen Jersey , who has also spent time with Oakland, Seattle, Kansas City and Cincinnati in the NFL.
Pryor, a top high school recruit from southwestern Pennsylvania, was the starting quarterback for Ohio State from 2008-10 and became one of college footballr17;s most exciting players. He threw for 6,177 yards and 57 touchdowns and ran for 2,164 yards and 17 scores in three seasons with the Buckeyes.
But Pryor withdrew from Ohio State in June 2011 after a memorabilia-for-cash-and-tattoos scandal that resulted in a five-game suspension and ultimately led to coach Jim Tresselr17;s resignation. Two months later, Pryor was selected by Oakland in the NFL supplemental draft.
He played in just four games during his first two seasons with the Raiders, including one start at quarterback. Pryor started nine games in 2013 with shaky results, throwing for two TDs and 11 interceptions before being benched in favor of Matt McGloin following a sprained knee ligament earlier in the season.
Pryor was traded to Seattle before the 2014 NFL draft, but was among the Seahawksr16; final cuts. He sat out the entire season despite having workouts with several teams. Kansas City signed him in January 2015, but then released him five months later. Pryor briefly joined Cincinnati, but was again cut r11; and then announced that he would be willing to play wide receiver on a full-time basis.
Cleveland claimed Pryor off waivers and he played in three games for the Browns Blake Comeau Jersey , who named him a starter at wide receiver the following season. Despite still being raw at the position, Pryorr17;s athleticism and versatility was on full display in 2016 as he led the Browns in receptions, yards receiving, TD catches, yards per game and yards per catch.
In a game at Miami, he became the first player since Hall of Famer Frank Gifford of the Giants in 1959 to have at least 120 yards receiving (144), 30 yards passing (35) and 20 yards rushing (25) in a game. He also played a snap at safety and became the first player since San Franciscor17;s Billy Kilmer in 1964 to have three catches, carries and passes in a game.
With the Jets, Pryor is reunited with two teammates from that Cleveland team: quarterback Josh McCown and running back Isaiah Crowell.
Pryor parlayed his promising season with the Browns into a nice payday with the Redskins, and things started off well as he had six catches for 66 yards in the opener. But his production was inconsistent from that point before the ankle injury ended his season r11; and, it turned out, his tenure in Washington r11; after Week 11.
