The 76ers dominated the first two games in Philadelphia, winning both contests by double figures, and now the series shifts to Toronto where the Raptors will look to climb out of the 2-0 hole they find themselves in. The Sixers have been the more physical team in the series so far, as the Raptors just haven’t had any answers when it comes to slowing Philly down on the offensive end.
Despite ample defensive attention from Toronto, MVP finalist Joel Embiid has been dominant through two games, both by using his size and strength to get into the paint and frustrate Toronto’s frontcourt, and by using his improved playmaking and passing ability to leverage the attention he receives in order to generate open opportunities for his teammates. Embiid has gotten his fair share of help, too. Tyrese Maxey has scored 61 points over the first two games of the series, and Tobias Harris (46 combined points) has been a big-time contributor on both ends of the floor. James Harden has been relatively quiet for Philadelphia (36 points, 20 assists in the series so far), but he still demands ample defensive attention.
In Toronto, the Raptors will have to find a way to slow down the Sixers’ offensive attack. If they’re unable to do so, the series might not make it back to Philadelphia for Game 5. With that said, here’s everything you need to know about Game 3 between the Sixers and Raptors.
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(4) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors
- When: Wednesday, April 20 | 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Scotiabank Arena, — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- TV: NBATV | Live stream: FuboTV
- Odds: PHI -125; TOR + 105 I O/U 216.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Storylines
76ers: Things couldn’t have gone much better for the Sixers over the first two games of the series, but they’re about to hit a bit of adversity. They will be without their best perimeter defender, Matisse Thybulle, for Games 3 and 4 in Toronto due to his COVID-19 vaccination status. Thybulle has been a huge part of what the Sixers do on the defensive end all season, and is likely to make an All-Defensive team for the second straight season.
Perhaps Toronto will take some solace in his upcoming absences. However, the reality is that Thybulle has largely been a non-factor in the series so far. He played just a total of 29 minutes (19 in Game 1, 10 in Game 2) and scored eight points in the first two games after Philadelphia preemptively replaced him in the starting lineup with Danny Green for continuity’s sake. Green is a better offensive option than Thybulle, and he has done decent defensively against Toronto thus far, too. It will be interesting to see exactly how much the Sixers miss Thybulle in Toronto, but with the way the series has gone so far, it doesn’t seem like his absence will be a major factor.
Raptors: Moving forward, the Raptors have to find a way to defend without fouling. The Sixers shot 34 free throws in Game 1, and 30 free throws in Game 2, as fouling has been Toronto’s default response to the physical play of Embiid and the rest of the Sixers. Not fouling a guy like Embiid is easier said than done, especially when the Raptors don’t have anyone on the roster who can match his combination of size and strength, but they have to try to do a better job than they’ve done. Head coach Nick Nurse was upset about the officiating after Game 1, and he spent an exorbitant amount of time during the first two games complaining to the refs, but so far his complaints seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
Prediction
Philly has been the superior team through two games, and it hasn’t been particularly close. The Raptors have been unable to match the 76ers’ physicality, or slow them on the offensive end at all, and they’ve provided little reason to think that things will change in Toronto. Pick: 76ers – 1.5
