Inside Sixers: Buddy Hield’s motivation, Ricky Council IV’s reward, and more from Sunday’s postgame

The giant television screen instantly commanded focus inside the 76ers’ locker room Sunday afternoon. And as the closing seconds of overtime between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks unfolded, audible reactions from players and staff circulated when the ball bounced off the leg of the Knicks’ Josh Hart and out of bounds, and again when Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan missed the potential game-winning shot.

The Sixers were free to scoreboard-watch after handling the Brooklyn Nets, 107-86, in their regular-season finale. Before that, however, coach Nick Nurse and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey acknowledged sneaking glances up at the other games being played simultaneously, including the Milwaukee Bucks’ loss to the Orlando Magic that kept the Sixers from moving up to sixth place — and guaranteeing a full first-round series. Instead, it set up a Wednesday play-in showdown against the Miami Heat.

“I didn’t even know half of the scenarios,” Nurse said after the game. “I barely was engaged in that. But I wasn’t completely unengaged, either.”

Knicks-Bulls, though, also had significant implications for the Sixers. New York’s victory means it will be the No. 2 seed awaiting the Sixers-Heat winner.

» READ MORE: Sixers facing nemesis Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat in NBA Play-In Tournament is ‘tricky situation’

Before Wednesday’s key showdown at the Wells Fargo Center, here are some more scenes that peppered the Sixers’ regular-season finale:

On the flight following the Sixers’ April 4 win in Miami, Joel Embiid asked Hield if he was “ever going to make any shots here.”

That’s an example of Embiid’s blunt communication and leadership style. Yet the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player could throw those verbal barbs to a still-new teammate because he knew Hield would take and return them.

“I laugh at him and I give him a smart [aleck] response back,” Hield said Sunday from his locker. “I can’t tell you what [I said]. But Joel’s a good teammate. I think him going there helps bring the best out of me. He knows, ‘OK, Buddy, you lock in.’

“Ever since, I’ve been playing with a spark on me.”

Hield is right. He finished the regular season scoring in double figures in three of the last four games, including totaling 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists to help break open the win against the Nets. It’s been an upswing during an inconsistent run since joining the Sixers at the trade deadline, a period when practicing patience has been a challenging, yet critical, task.

And though the career 40% three-point shooter has not yet gotten much opportunity to play alongside Embiid, his top skill when the big man is doubled is a reason why the Sixers swung the deadline deal.

“I know the reason I’m here,” Hield said.

One stat Hield is particularly proud of is that Sunday’s game was his 85th of the season. That emphasis on durability and availability stems from his Bahamian roots, and a desire to represent himself, his family, and his country. And he displays it daily, as the first player to warm up before games — a rarity for veteran players — and goes through lengthy post-practice sessions with coaches.

Hield reached that more-than-82 game total partially because he played in the NBA In-Season Tournament Finals while with the Pacers in December. He lamented that he “sucked,” in that loss — he went 3-of-11 from the floor — and is ready for another game with stakes to redeem himself. Yet he also observed how LeBron James went into a “different mode” in that win for the Los Angeles Lakers, which he hopes to mimic Wednesday against the Heat.

Win that, and the 31-year-old Hield will finally experience the playoffs for the first time.

“Just approach the game that way,” Hield said. “It’s do or die.”

Even though Knicks-Bulls was on the big screen, Kyle Lowry pulled it up on his cellphone. That came with 4K technology, he boastingly claimed.

It’s fitting that, to reach a first-round series against the Knicks, Lowry must first go through the Heat. Not just because that is his former team, which traded him to the Charlotte Hornets in January before he joined his hometown Sixers off the buyout market. But because the veteran guard climbed out of the play-in with Miami last season, before making a stunning run to the NBA Finals.

“We understand what we’re playing for,” Lowry said. “Last year, we lost. We came out flat and, fortunately, we won the next game. It’s one game, and you’ve got to give everything that you’ve got.”

The 38-year-old Lowry has averaged eight points, 4.6 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 23 games since joining the Sixers. But despite going scoreless Sunday against the Nets, Nurse described Lowry’s eight-assist performance as “excellent.” Ditto for veteran wing Nico Batum, who often drew the defensive assignment on professional scorer Cam Thomas, holding him to 5-of-12 from the floor Sunday.

Those are two Sixers who were not on the roster during training camp but will play an important role during the postseason.

As reporters surrounded Ricky Council IV’s locker prior to Sunday’s game, Hield hollered “Big Bling, Rick!” And for good reason, after the Sixers on Saturday converted Council’s two-way contract to a standard deal.

Council recognizes the improbability of his story. He went undrafted last summer. He was briefly cut by the Sixers in October. But then he became a contributor on a winning team — and a player whom Nurse said he would feel comfortable throwing into a playoff series if the Sixers need an energy jolt.

» READ MORE: Sixers lock up two-way player Ricky Council IV with a four-year, $7.4 million standard NBA contract

“That doesn’t really happen,” Council said. “When I look back there, I expected this, but it actually happened. It happened a little later, but it happened. So I’m blessed.”

Council said the simplest lessons — “keep working, for real, and stay ready” — have been the most important this season. When he caught wind within the last week that this four-year contract could be coming, his reaction was, “Wow, thank you.” And though he did not have an immediate celebratory purchase in mind, he does plan to get a more spacious home in the area.

Perhaps the biggest reward is that his mother was part of this career accomplishment. Her first visit to Philly, unfortunately, coincided with when Council was released days before the Sixers’ opener — meaning her first (preseason) NBA game did not include her son.

But she flew back to town on Friday, watching Ricky play on an NBA floor for the first time when he finished with three points and two rebounds in eight minutes against the Nets Sunday.

Up next: His first postseason.

“I’m ready for it,” Council said.

One locker that was long closed-up following Sunday’s win: Embiid’s. It was a final reminder that he sat out against the Nets, for what Nurse called precautionary reasons in his continued recovery from knee surgery.

Maxey, meanwhile, leaned back in his locker’s chair while peppered with questions following the game. Without the reigning MVP, Maxey has become arguably the Sixers’ most prominent player voice.

That speaks to another strong on-court performance, after totaling a game-high 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting against Brooklyn to wrap up the most productive regular season of his four-year NBA career. But it is also an indicator of the 23-year-old’s leadership, which has blossomed organically while becoming an All-Star and navigating a significant stretch of the season without Embiid.

» READ MORE: Allen Iverson looks like he’s finally found stability and inner peace. Let’s hope so.

“Day 1 of training camp, I kind of knew I was going to be pushed into this role, because of our situations,” Maxey said, referencing the James Harden saga before the blockbuster trade. “But I give kudos to Joel and guys who gave me the confidence to step up and use my voice. … When you put in a lot of work and guys see that, they kind of rally behind you because they know you mean well.

“And for me — every time I step on the court, no matter what I’m doing — it’s to win, and they know that. I don’t yell and scream. I like to talk to guys and try to win games.”