Adorable dog steals show as 76ers win seventh straight

Ben Simmons' Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to seven games but it was an adorable dog named "Scooby" that stole the show in the NBA.

The cute pup was part of a double act in the NBA halftime show for the 76ers game against the Orlando Magic.

His owner's act of performing a handstand on two basketballs was impressive enough, but Scooby's acrobatic display was simply awesome.

Seizing on one of the basketballs that his owner had left behind, Scooby proceeded to walk across the court on top of the ball - displaying balance and poise that any top gymnast would be proud of.

When the action got back under way it was Simmons' side that came out on top - the win positioning Philly for a first NBA play-offs campaign in six years.

The Aussie maintained his season average with 17 points in the 116-105 home victory over the Magic on Saturday night, reaching double figures for the 50th time from 56 games in his rookie season.

Fellow kingpin Joel Embiid led the way with 28 points and 14 rebounds, the centre's 22nd game of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Sharing the load, the Sixers had six players scoring double figures as JJ Reddick (16), Marco Belinelli (15), Robert Covington (12) and Dario Saric (11) all weighed in.

It marked the first time the Sixers, who last won seven in a row in 2009, have recorded 10 straight home wins since late 2002 - in Larry Brown's final season as coach.

After years of miserable under-performance by the Sixers, young guns Simmons and Embiid, with a strong supporting cast, have their team sitting seventh in the eastern conference - eight teams make the playoffs - with a 32-25 win-loss record.

While the Toronto Raptors (41-17) and Boston Celtics (41-19) have cleared out at the top on the conference, even LeBron James's third-placed Cleveland Cavaliers (35-23) are within striking range for the Sixers if they can maintain their momentum.

With AAP