I’m not sure what was a bigger story yesterday: Meek Mill getting released from jail shortly after Kevin Hart and co-owner Michael Rubin visited him, or the Sixers game. Or is this one story meshed together?

A little after 3:30, Rubin posted on Instagram the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered the release of Mill. The game was at 8, but for some reason, people thought he wouldn’t make it:

The Sixers knew about his release and were already blasting “House Party” a couple hours before tip off. It took him 30 minutes to get from prison to the locker room inside The Center, where the celebration that would last the rest of the night got underway:

The warm-up playlist was all Meek. The stars came out. Among them, along with Rubin and Hart, were Bernard Hopkins, Lil Dicky, members of the national champion Villanova Wildcats (who probably were scheduled to ring the bell), Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement, Alshon Jeffery, and Jeffrey Lurie. Even Tom Kline, a prominent lawyer in the area, and NIK STAUSKAS were inside The Center.

And then, the bell:

For the game itself, it was tied at halftime. But once again, the Sixers went ahead in the third quarter and held off a late Heat surge to take the series with a 104-91 win.

JJ Redick led the Sixers with 27 points, while Joel Embiid (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Ben Simmons (14 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles.

Dwyane Wade was very impressed by the Sixers as a team, in what may have been his final game in the NBA:

“This is the future of the NBA. The NBA is in great hands with Ben (Simmons) and Joel (Embiid) and those kind of individuals.”

The postgame celebration in the locker room was memorable, with the team embracing head coach Brett Brown after what he’s endured since being hired in 2013.

The Sixers wait for the Celtics-Bucks series to conclude. Boston won Game 5 92-87.

The Roundup:


Wrapping up on non-playoff Sixers coverage, Ben Simmons will be featured on an Australian edition of 60 Minutes.

It was the last game we’ll hear from Marc Zumoff and Alaa Abdelnaby until next season, but someone created a list of most of Zoo’s calls.


There was another game in South Philly, although I doubt anyone went to that one. The Phillies fell to the Diamondbacks in their series opener 8-4. It wasn’t a great day for the hitters, as they struck out 16 times in a rain-soaked defeat, including all four appearances from Scott Kingery.

Vince Velasquez gave up four runs on four hits while walking two and striking out six in 4 2/3 innings.

The two teams will play again tonight at 7:05 PM on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Jake Arrieta will be back on the mound against Zack Greinke.

While the Phillies were off on Monday, Gabe Kapler went to Reading. He wore an odd hat.


The NFL Draft is tomorrow. The Eagles have the final pick in the first round because they won the Super Bowl. With no picks in rounds 2 and 3, should the Eagles trade down to acquire more picks?

Whatever they do, they’ll be in a brand new draft room that looks absolutely ridiculous (good way).

Nick Foles wants to start, but he’s content with backing up Carson Wentz in part to how dedicated the fans are to the team, even out in California:

“I’ve run into so many people across the country — because I live in California in the offseason, that’s where my wife’s from, that’s probably where we’ll raise our kids — and still there’s Eagles fans everywhere.

“Grown men coming up to me at dinner when I’m with my father, pretty macho guys, that all of a sudden break down crying and you see the emotion and the heart of it.

“They’ve waited their whole life, their father waited his whole life, their grandmother, and I know when we won the game all of us in this locker room realized this, and that’s why it was so special, because we did it in such a unique, special city.

“That’s why like when everyone wants to talk about, ‘Hey, do you want to go start [somewhere else]?’ Yeah, I have aspirations to lead a team.

“Do I wish I could play my whole career here? Absolutely. But I know the situation and I am grateful to be in this locker room at this moment to be here because I genuinely do love the city.”

A big part of the draft weekend involves guys that weren’t drafted. Just look at Corey Clement.

An Eagles Super Bowl mural in the Northeast will be dedicated next month.


Flyers GM Ron Hextall will be able to make whatever move he wants in free agency. That could bring some big names to the team:

“Ron has the flexibility to do whatever he wants with his cap space and his roster,” Holmgren said when asked about the possibilities of signing a free agent. “If that’s the decision he wants to make moving forward, he’s got free rein to do that. I think Ron continues to do what’s right for the organization.”

There shouldn’t be any panic for how the Flyers’ season ended. It was crazy to start with.


In other sports news, 236 players are early entry candidates for this year’s NBA Draft. There’s 60 picks.

The Commission on College Basketball recommended many reforms for the NCAA, such as removing the one-and-done rule.

Golden State defeated San Antonio to win their series in five games.

Toronto takes on Boston in Beantown tonight in Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Rob Gronkowski will play in 2018.

Former WIP host and current WFAN afternoon host Chris Carlin might get replaced by Mike Francesa, the guy he replaced in January.


In the news, police have begun to crackdown on illegal ATV and dirt bike riders.

Bob Dorough, the man who created the ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ songs, has died at the age of 94.