Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Saturday 11 May 2019
Butler does it, leads 76ers past Raptors to force Game 7

bounds in 35 minutes.
Embiid didn’t do much
early in Game 6, but Butler
and Simmons built some
needed separation.
Butler about did it all, and
showed in the first half why
the free agent will com-
mand a max contract —
$188 million over five years
— in the offseason.
Butler, disgruntled in Minne-
sota before he was traded
to Philadelphia in Novem-
ber, scored 19 points in
the half and all of them
seemed worthy of the high-
light reel.
He took a bit of a trick shot
when he rebounded his
own missed jumper and
was fouled by Kyle Lowry
on an off-balance attempt.
The basket was good and
so was the free throw.
Butler stole the ball from
Leonard and capped the
half with a fast-break dunk
for a 58-43 lead.
“Game is simple. I shoot the
ball when I’m open,” Butler
said. “Sometimes I shoot it
when I’m not open.”
He forced his way open in
the first half, making 9 of 15
Philadelphia 76ers’ Jimmy Butler, left, tries to get past Toronto Raptors’ Patrick McCaw during the first half of Game 6 of a second- shots in the first and he gave
round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Philadelphia. the Sixers the confidence
Associated Press they needed to know an-
By DAN GELSTON more than his combined other game wasn’t going
Auction to feature baseball AP Sports Writer total of Games 4 and 5 — to turn into a rout.
“He was all over that
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jim-
and helped show the Sixers
signed by 11 original HOFers my Butler lived up to his still had some fight after a game,” coach Brett Brown
said. “The mood in the lock-
Jimmy Buckets nickname.
brutal Game 5 loss.
With “Jimmy! Butler!” “It was amazing focus. Ev- er room, you could sense
NEW YORK (AP) — A base- Ruth; a 1924 New York Yan- chants ringing from the erybody was locked in,” the serious side. They got
ball signed by all 11 mem- kees team baseball signed rafters, he helped Philadel- Simmons said. “We knew the moment and I think he
bers of the inaugural induc- by rookie Lou Gehrig; the phia force a seventh game what was at stake.” got it as much as anybody
tion class of the Baseball jersey worn by former New against Toronto in the East- Joel Embiid had played and led us.”
Hall of Fame headlines the York Knicks star Walt Fra- ern Conference semifi- through a bad left knee Simmons was called out
Lelands Spring Classic Auc- zier in Game 7 of the 1970 nals, hitting big baskets in and a stomach bug for by Butler about the need
tion. NBA Finals, when he fin- bunches and scoring 25 most of the playoffs and to attack the basket and
The ball features the signa- ished with 36 points, 19 as- points in the 76ers’ 112-101 the entire team had reason play more off screens to
tures of George Sisler, Cy sists and seven rebounds; victory over the Raptors on to be ill after the Raptors become the triple-double
Young, Tris Speaker, Eddie a Bobby Orr game jersey Thursday night. crushed the Sixers by 36 in threat he was in the regular
Collins, Connie Mack, Gro- from around 1972; Heis- “I play to win,” Butler said. Game 5. season and not the non-
ver Cleveland Alexander, man Trophy winner Ernie “Right now, this is what I “I knew I had to come in factor he was against the
Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Davis’s last game-worn jer- have to do in order to give with high spirits,” Embiid Raptors.
Larry Lajoie, Ty Cobb and sey, from the 1962 Coach- us a great chance at win- said. Simmons did it all early
Honus Wagner. All were in- es All-America Game; and ning.” “If I’ve got to play 45 min- (eight points, five assists in
ducted in 1939. Pittsburgh Steelers game Kawhi Leonard, who utes and push myself out the first quarter) and the
The autographs were col- jerseys from the team’s ar- scored 30-plus points in the there, that’s what I’ll do.” Sixers got the outside shots
lected on inauguration day chive worn by Lynn Swann, first four games in the series, Embiid had a burst of en- to fall — an early domina-
by Eddie Rommel, a star Terry Bradshaw, Franco was finally tied up early by ergy late in the third when tion that happened even
pitcher for the Philadelphia Harris, Jack Lambert, Mel the Sixers and hit 29 points he blocked a driving Leon- as Embiid was held score-
Athletics in the 1920s and Blount and Jack Ham. well after the game was ard, and Simmons capital- less until he hit a 3 early in
early 1930s and later an A portion of the proceeds out of hand. ized with a basket for an the second quarter.
American League umpire. from the sale of the Steelers Leonard and the Raptors 18-point cushion. Simmons had no turnovers
Other items among the 42 jerseys will be donated to had no answers for Butler Embiid, who gingerly and six assists in 34 minutes.
up for bid include: a 1914 the Chuck Noll Foundation and All-Star guard Ben Sim- walked into the postgame “What he did today was
Baltimore Orioles team for Brain Injury Research. mons. press conference with his lot of the reasons he was
photo featuring 19-year- The auction runs through Simmons broke through left knee packaged in ice, an NBA All-Star at age 22,”
old rookie pitcher Babe June 7.q and scored 21 points — had 17 points and 12 re- Brown said.q