The Phoenix Suns will interview Monty Williams for a second time in the coming days.

Robert Sarver is expected to be included in the second interview Williams has conducted with the Suns.

Williams is also a candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Suns fired Igor Kokoskov last week.

Brett Brown complimented Jimmy Butler following the Philadelphia 76ers' 94-89 game 2 win over the Toronto Raptors to even the series.

Butler finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.

"This was James Butler. That was the adult in the gym...He was just a tremendous sort of rock. He willed us to a lot of different situations...He was a stud. He really was an adult in the gym," said Brown.

"My name isn't James, it is literally Jimmy," said Butler, before highlighting defensive efforts from Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Kawhi Leonard, who finished with 35 points, complimented Simmons on his defense. 

"They had Ben guarding me tonight. They did a good job, honestly; got to give them credit," said Leonard.

Pascal Siakim was held to 9-of-21 shooting on the night, often with Embiid guarding him. 

"Obviously, it was difficult for us to handle just by looking at the numbers. I think Pascal had a low shooting percentage tonight, a lot of those were trying to take on Embiid at the rim," said Nick Nurse.

Brett Brown discussed potential defensive adjustments the Philadelphia 76ers could make to slow down Kawhi Leonard. Leonard scored 45 points in the Raptors' game 1 win.

Jimmy Butler guarded Leonard 1-on-1 to start of the game, with Ben Simmons taking the assignment as the game progressed.

Brown said he wanted to use a combination of Butler, Simmons, and Tobias Harris against Leonard.

"Could we see [Simmons] more on Kawhi? Maybe. Maybe some of the others we need to [be] better and give him help with crowds. ... Our intention was multiple defensive players on Kawhi out of that group that I just said," said Brown.

Simmons added that the Sixers needed to send more help on Leonard in game 2.

"I don't think we showed enough help," added Simmons. 

Tobias Harris is expected to receive significant interest in free agency this offseason.

While the Philadelphia 76ers will attempt to re-sign Harris following their midseason acquisition, the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets are also expected to pursue Harris.

“It would be selfish of me to not come into this situation with an open mind to make this work for the long term,” Harris told The Athletic in March. “That’s where my mindset is at. I’m a loyal guy to where I am, and if I feel that loyalty back, that is how I operate. For me, it’s just making it work here and figuring out how it will go. So far, it’s been really good. Gotta show that loyalty.”

Jimmy Butler has long had a reputation for being one of the NBA's most candid superstars.

“If we’re winning, it’s cool,” Butler told The Athletic. “If not, I might have something to say. I might have a lot to say to people. I’m going to speak up, speak my mind.

“Have I learned anything about myself in the league? I learned about myself a long time ago. That I belong here and I’m a really good player. Guys around the league respect me just like I respect other guys. That’s why you play the game. I don’t do it for the fame. I don’t do it for the money. I do it so every time you go up against somebody, they got to dap you and be like, ‘It’s going to be a battle tonight.’

“No matter what team I’m on, the league knows that. The players know that. To me, talk is cheap. You just have to go out there and do what you’re supposed to do.”

The Phoenix Suns have identified Monty Williams as their top head coaching candidate.

The Suns will interview Williams in Toronto on Friday.

Williams also had a second interview with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

The Suns are on the verge of preempting an offer from the Lakers, which was part of the reason why they fired Igor Kokoskov when they did.

Williams is currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Phoenix Suns will request permission to interview Monty Williams and David Vanterpool.

Williams is currently assistant coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. Williams is also a candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Vanterpool is an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are first round opponents and are notable for taking vastly different approaches to their rebuilds.

The 76ers tanked for several seasons to accumulate assets and high first round picks, while the Nets built via trade, lower draft picks and free agent signings after not having their own first round pick for three seasons. Brooklyn sent the No. 3 pick in 2016, No. 1 in 2017 and No. 8 in 2018 to Boston.

“Isn’t that the greatest thing about the NBA?” Atkinson said of the two rebuilding strategies. “They did it one way, and we kind of did it the other. They’ve had great success and great players. We just did it a different way. That’s the beauty of the NBA. There’s a lot of different ways to skin a cat. We took our particular situation and took another approach, and here we are playing against each other. It’s great.”

Joel Embiid finished with 31 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 blocks and 2 steals in the Philadelphia 76ers' 112-108 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Sixers are up 3-1 in the series.

The game was marred by ejections from Jimmy Butler and Jared Dudley in the 3rd quarter. Embiid drew a flagrant 1 foul on Jarrett Allen, sparking Dudley and Ben Simmons to get tangled up into the courtside seats.

Dudley had been going back and forth on and off the court with Sixers players the entire series.

"First of all, he's a nobody. And when opponents try to do stuff like that, that's just to get us out of the game. Especially, I'm too valuable for my team. That's why I didn't react. I did not do anything and I did not think that was a flagrant foul because I played the ball, too. But in that type of situation I just got to stay composed and be mature," said Embiid about Dudley.

Embiid said he would pay the fine associated with Butler's ejection. 

Joel Embiid is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game 4 with a sore knee.

Embiid sat out game 3 with the same injury, and missed 14 out of the final 24 games in the regular season.

Brett Brown said the 76ers need to keep buying Embiid time to return. 

"It's always best to plan that you don't have him and be really surprised and happy when you do. I think that my belief and shared with Joel and our management and owners and so on is we're in a phase, we're in a stage where we're buying time. Can we get a win and buy a few more days? Can we get another win and buy, like, a few more days? We might lose, but you're alive -- buy three more days. And so, this is just the path that we're on with Joel. There is zero doubt he is our crown jewel and just with the phase and stage and how it's played out, to my best ability, this is how I see the world nowadays," said Brown.