Eastern Conference | Round 1 | (4) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors (PHI 3-2)

[tripa]

Let's all be realistic, Raps still need to win at home and then win AGAIN in Philly. 4 straight.

I don't care how much a team is reeling, it's just so unlikely.

Just happy this is a series now.

it's unlikely....but all the pressure is on Doc River,s Harden, and Embiid......Raptors are playing with house money...and going home to a crowd that is ready to explode.

My money would be on raps winning at home. Philly winning game 7.

Why? Do you see Embiid somehow getting healthy as this series continues? Is Harden somehow turning back the hands of time? I'm genuinely confused.

Defence like this doesn't get hot and cold. I would understand if the Raps were relying on insane 3 point scoring or something.

It just seems like most Raptor fans don't have the balls to call this one like it is. We can make history if we keep FVV off the floor and keep playing defence. Embiid is playing at 30% right now.

[XTC]

Regardless of the outcome I'm just happy this Raptors team showed some fight.

I'm really not sure River's gets another coaching gig again... I think dude might just be the worst coach in the NBA. Honestly starting to believe Thibs was the real mastermind behind the bench on the 08 Celtics.

[Deep1984]

Imagine if the Raptors had a fully healthy squad throughout the first couple of games. I’m just happy all the younger guys are getting all the experience at this point.

[mtcan]

It seems like Nurse has made the needed adjustments. Maxey has been contained, and it seems like they have Embiid figured out. Either way, it's funny how the Raptors literally have nothing to lose. All the pressure is on Philly.

You mean not playing an injured Fred?

This might be the best way for Fred to save face. He's injured and being injured makes him a liability.

[Scottie4Bro]

If Philly loses this series I'm 95% positive Rivers is not coaching in Philadelphia come next season.

[BIGJ1ER]

Harden isn't even playoff choke artists harden he looks like a 40 yr old version of himself. Embiid thumb injury is worse than we thought. This game clearly showed sixers have a weaker supporting cast than jokic.

Yeah I don't like how the narrative after this series will be that Harden is always a choker, when it couldn't be further from the truth (Check his 39ppg average in games 3 and 4 when down 0-2 to the Warriors in the 19 WCSF) and I'm not a Harden fan in the slightest. He just clearly looks cooked from the hamstring. Philly have to be praying that he bounces back after a 2020 CP3 like offseason, because if this is him now, he is clearly not worth a supermax.

Also Embiid is injured, but it would be a bad look for him to have another subpar series to lose again like he did against Atlanta last year, especially with all the claims he's better than Jokic this year (hint, he's not).

[Wolfgang630]

God damn what a GREAT day of basketball!

[binjumper]

Did all the philly fans leave this board as well?

[BIGJ1ER]

If Philly loses this series I'm 95% positive Rivers is not coaching in Philadelphia come next season.

I'd be willing to raise those odds to 99.9%

[picc]

Imagine thinking this Harden would have made a difference vs Boston. He'd look even worse than he does against the Raptors.

[Aliasego]

Have we considered that it wasn’t Ben Simmons fault last year?

Sharing the blame around Philly by looking at the "leadership" of Embiid, Rivers and Morey has been a pastime of many this year.

Fair enough. I was being cocky for fun. Really there is probably is no black and white answer, it’s always a shade of grey. If Simmons played better it would’ve made up for poor leadership. Better leadership would have made up for his bad play.

[mtcan]

Harden isn't even playoff choke artists harden he looks like a 40 yr old version of himself. Embiid thumb injury is worse than we thought. This game clearly showed sixers have a weaker supporting cast than jokic.

Yeah I don't like how the narrative after this series will be that Harden is always a choker, when it couldn't be further from the truth (Check his 39ppg average in games 3 and 4 when down 0-2 to the Warriors in the 19 WCSF) and I'm not a Harden fan in the slightest. He just clearly looks cooked from the hamstring. Philly have to be praying that he bounces back after a 2020 CP3 like offseason, because if this is him now, he is clearly not worth a supermax.

Also Embiid is injured, but it would be a bad look for him to have another subpar series to lose again like he did against Atlanta last year, especially with all the claims he's better than Jokic this year (hint, he's not).

If Harden and Embiid aren't getting 50 free throw attempts a game due to flop after flop...they pout and eventually check out.

[Pachinko_]

I didn't watch the game, only box score.

So I'd like someone to please explain to me, how the **** do you play a team that has literally NO point guard on the roster and fail to take advantage of it. How?

[JustLucky]

Let's all be realistic, Raps still need to win at home and then win AGAIN in Philly. 4 straight.

I don't care how much a team is reeling, it's just so unlikely.

Just happy this is a series now.

how is it unlikely? its at the very least gonna happen about 25% of the time. playing in philly is like two raptor home games apparently

[mtcan]

Six losses. Three "whining about the refs" jobs. That is blaming HALF of your losses after games on the refs.

That is some weak f'k'n sauce yo.

I will freely admit that I do not have the perspective of watching every Joel Embiid postgame presser but of the 1 game that the Sixers have lost in this playoff series with the Raps, every single one had Embiid whining about the refs. That is blaming 100% of your losses after games on the refs. That is some weak sauce yo.

I should add that I don't have the perspective of reading every bebopdeluxe post, but of the ones I've seen in this thread, 9 out of 10 are whining about someone else whining about refs.

So...maybe Raptors fans should stop whining about the refs?

So...maybe Embiid should stop whining about the refs?

[House12]

we've shot the 3 ball terribly this series, we're due for a 3 point explosion, i pray it's in game 6

No, pray it's game 7, because it means we actually get to game 7.
Philly is going to play much better in game 6, they played poorly today.

They're going to need to make adjustments though.

[PD28]

I didn't watch the game, only box score.

So I'd like someone to please explain to me, how the **** do you play a team that has literally NO point guard on the roster and fail to take advantage of it. How?

Having Harden and Maxey in the backcourt is not a recipe for success on the defensive end. Barnes just posted up Maxey and made him kinda useless out there.

[mtcan]

I didn't watch the game, only box score.

So I'd like someone to please explain to me, how the **** do you play a team that has literally NO point guard on the roster and fail to take advantage of it. How?

Positionless basketball man.

Scottie Barnes is the point guard. He was a point guard at FSU. Point Pascal is really the best form of Pascal Siakam because he's extra assertive and aggressive.

[Basketball_Jones]

Well, this Philly team isn’t championship bound that’s for sure. They’ll probably still win here thanks to the monster game 3 from Embiid but they are getting crushed next round.

[GooniesNeverDie]

I didn't watch the game, only box score.

So I'd like someone to please explain to me, how the **** do you play a team that has literally NO point guard on the roster and fail to take advantage of it. How?

Raps have been doing this all season bro. Pascal/Scottie are our PGs a lot of the time even when Freddy plays.

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