Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse stepped away from the team on Tuesday to attend the funeral of his brother, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Steve Nurse, 62, reportedly died unexpectedly last Wednesday, the day before the Sixers’ Game 6 against the Boston Celtics in the first round. His brother’s team went on to complete a historic 3-1 comeback to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Nick reportedly traveled from New York to his hometown of Carroll, Iowa on Monday night, following the Sixers’ Game 1 loss against the New York Knicks. He is expected to rejoin the team later Tuesday.
In Nurse’s absence, the Sixers reportedly held a film session on Tuesday but did not practice. They are scheduled to face the Knicks in Game 2 on Wednesday in New York (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Nurse, who won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2018-19, is in his third season with the Sixers. This is the farthest they have reached in the playoffs during his tenure after posting a 45-37 record in the regular season and advancing through the NBA paly-in tournament.
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