NEW YORK (AFP) – The Philadelphia 76ers shrugged off the absence of Joel Embiid to complete a 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA playoffs on Saturday as the Phoenix Suns edged closer to a second-round berth by beating the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Sixers advanced to an Eastern Conference semifinal showdown against either Boston or Atlanta with a dominant second-half display to seal a 96-88 victory in Brooklyn.
Elsewhere in the East, the Miami Heat thrashed the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 121-99 to edge ahead of the top seeds 2-1 in their best-of-seven series.
In Brooklyn, the Sixers trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter but transformed the contest with an 18-4 run to take the lead before closing out victory with a fourth-quarter rally.
The Sixers’ win was all the more impressive given the absence of star center Embiid, who suffered a right knee sprain in Thursday’s 102-97 victory in game three.
Embiid led the NBA with 33.1 points a game and is a finalist for the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Paul Reed stepped in to fill the void and finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Tobias Harris led the scoring for Philadelphia with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while De’Anthony Melton came off the bench to produce 15 points and lead the fourth-quarter surge.
Harris said the Sixers were determined to use Embiid’s absence as a motivator.
The 4-0 series victory was Philadelphia’s first playoff sweep since 1991.
Spencer Dinwiddie led Brooklyn’s scoring with 20 points while Nic Claxton had 19 points with 12 rebounds.
In Los Angeles, Kevin Durant finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help Phoenix beat the Clippers 112-100 for a 3-1 series lead.
Devin Booker plundered 30 points and veteran Chris Paul added 19 in a late burst of scoring as Phoenix bagged their second straight win in Los Angeles.
“I’m in a good place and I’m enjoying playing ball,” Durant said. “I’ve been out a few months this season, and I’m just happy I’m out here where the ball is.”
It means the Suns need just one more win to book their place in the Western Conference semi-finals, with game five set for Phoenix on Tuesday.
The Clippers’ hopes of squaring the series had been dealt a blow by the absence of Kawhi Leonard, who joined Paul George on the injured list.
Russell Westbrook produced one of his best performances for the Clippers with a 37-point display.
In Miami, the Heat took full advantage of the absence of Milwaukee’s two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, leading by double digits much of the night.
Jimmy Butler scored 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting before departing late in the third quarter after taking a hard fall. After visiting the locker room he returned to the bench but with the game in hand did not go back on the floor.
Duncan Robinson scored 20 points and fellow reserve Kyle Lowry added 15 as the Heat bench delivered 59 points.
