The Sixers faced a tough task last night with the Cleveland Cavaliers in what was one of the most important games for the franchise since 2012.

And thanks to a big second half from Ben Simmons, who was named February’s Rookie of the Month, the Sixers outdueled LeBron James and the Cavs, 108-97, to snap an 11-game losing streak to Cleveland.

Simmons finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in the wire-to-wire win, while Joel Embiid posted a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. JJ Redick led the way in points with 22, with Dario Saric contributing 16 and Robert Covington also posting a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Ersan Ilyasova returned to the Sixers with six points off the bench.

As for LeBron (who may or may not have looked at Malvern Prep), he had 30 points. These were two of them:

James showed plenty of love to Embiid and Simmons on Instagram:

So did Embiid, and take a look at the hashtag:

Sixers return to action tonight as they host the Charlotte Hornets at 7 PM. They’ll play in Milwaukee against the Bucks Sunday night at 8 PM in a nationally televised game.

The Roundup:

Check out the latest Crossing Broadcast, featuring Jason Myrtetus!


It wasn’t a good night for the Flyers for the first time in nearly a month. Carolina came into the Wells Fargo Center and dominated Philadelphia from the start, which led to a 4-1 Hurricanes win.

Former Flyer Justin Williams scored two goals for the Hurricanes with Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho also contributing tallies. Travis Konecny had the lone Flyers goal in the third period, while Petr Mrazek stopped 31 of 35 shots.

The Flyers have a busy weekend of their own. They’ll make their way to Florida to take on Tampa Bay Saturday at 1 p.m., before heading to Sunrise to take on the Florida Panthers Sunday at 3 p.m. Sunday’s game will be special for Shayne Gostisbehere. He’ll be inviting students from his alma mater, Stoneman Douglas High School, to the game.


The Phillies lost their fifth straight Spring Training game, this time to the New York Yankees, 6-4. Aaron Altherr hit a home run in the fourth inning. They’ll take on Tampa Bay this afternoon, with Aaron Nola on the mound.

Odubel Herrera will also play in the outfield for the first time this Spring. He’s been limited with a sore shoulder.

As for another outfielder, Roman Quinn took some reps at shortstop in yesterday’s loss:

“I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t nervous,” Quinn said after he survived four innings at shortstop. “There were definitely nerves, especially with the wait. I was like, ‘I’m about to play shortstop in a game, a big league game.’ And I was like, ‘Alright, let’s do it.’ Once I got out there, I felt real comfortable.”

The 24-year-old Quinn had just one ball hit his way. He fielded it and threw a bit low to first, but it was in time to make the out.

The Phillies told him at the start of camp that they would like to see him at shortstop, the position he played when he broke into the minor leagues. Quinn appears to be a favorite to earn a reserve role, and brushing up on his infield would improve his chances.

“I thought he looked great,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Anxious to get him back out there, get him additional opportunities. Hard to say how he looks after one ground ball, but you’d love to see 10 or 11 ground balls and then really get a good assessment under our belts.”

The Phillies are still interested in signing another starting pitcher. BWanks wants it to happen sooner than later if they’re serious about it.


Out in Indianapolis, the Eagles have begun their research for the NFL Draft. They already met with Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey. He was one of a handful of linemen that sat down with the Birds.

Getting drafted by the Eagles would be a dream come true for McGlinchey:

“As strong as my ties are in the city of Philadelphia and around the area, that would be a dream-come-true situation,” McGlinchey said. “Obviously, Super Bowl champs. Passionate city. Everything I do, everybody I love, is back at home in Philadelphia. Any team that would pick me would be great, but it would be pretty special to go home, too.”

There’s a lot to like about McGlinchey other than his area code. At 6-foot-8 and 312 pounds, he has outstanding size and athleticism for the position. A four-year starter for the Irish, McGlinchey has experience at both left tackle and right tackle on an NFL-style offensive line with a position coach who was just hired by the Chicago Bears. He’s also a two-time captain who is lauded for his character and work ethic, too.

“He’s one of my favorite players in the draft because I know the kid,” said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, a Philadelphia native who watched McGlinchey in high school and rated him the No. 1 tackle in the draft. “I did Notre Dame games when he was young, and I’ve been around him when he works out in the weight room. …He’s going to be ready to play. I don’t care if you put him at right tackle or left tackle, he’s going to be ready to play.  And, number two, his work ethic and passion for the game of football is unparalleled. So I know what I’m getting with that kid, and that’s why I bang the table for him.”

As for the current team, Patrick Robinson and the Eagles have had discussions about a possible long-term deal.

That will certainly impact the team’s salary cap situation, which Kevin discusses.

If the Birds decide to trade Nick Foles with the right deal, is Nate Sudfeld a suitable backup?


In college hoops, Penn visits Yale tonight at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, St. Joe’s hosts local A10 rival La Salle at 2 p.m., Drexel takes on James Madison in the first round of the CAA Tournament in Charleston at 4 p.m., No. 4 Villanova hosts Georgetown at 5 p.m. on Fox, and Penn visits Brown at 6 p.m..

On Sunday, Tulsa hosts Temple at 3 p.m. on ESPN3.


In other sports news, Virginia somehow beat Louisville with 0.9 seconds to go:

Arizona head coach Sean Miller denies of any wrongdoing after ESPN’s wiretap report came out last week. After correcting their initial report, ESPN then retracted that correction.

Jarvis Landry, Michael Bennett, and Tavon Austin are reportedly getting shopped around.

Some teams want Lamar Jackson to work out as a wide receiver.

Steph Curry is an idiot:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfy7u2RgBlv/?utm_source=ig_embed

Oh my:

Jim Kelly’s oral cancer has returned:

The Texas Wesleyan baseball coach that told a recruit from Colorado he won’t recruit kids from the state because of their marijuana laws has been fired.


In the news, get ready for today’s Nor’easter!

President Trump met with officials from the NRA.

KFC’s in the UK are screwed thanks to food shortages.