Sixers fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Philadelphia wrapped up their series win over the Raptors on Thursday night, overwhelming them by a score of 132-97.
The Sixers got off to a hot start in the series, winning the first three games. After Embiid sealed a game three win in Toronto with what will go down as an all-time clutch shot (see below), the Raptors fought off elimination and avoided the sweep in game four. They then embarrassed Philly on their home court by a score of 103-88 to bring the series back to Canada for game six.
Sixers fans went from confident to worried about the team, but more specifically about Doc Rivers. The Sixers coach has blown three separate 3-1 leads in playoff series (twice more than any other coach in NBA history), and has a 15-31 record in closeout games in his career. But Philadelphia put those worries to bed (albeit only temporarily) with their rout of Toronto in Game 6. They avoid the fate of becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven playoff series.
Embiid, of course, was a big reason why. He dropped 33 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks on 12/18 shooting. Tyrese Maxey contributed 25 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds on 8/16 shooting, and James Harden added 22 points, 15 assists, and 6 rebounds while shooting 7/12 from the field.
The Raptors shot just 7 of their 35 of their shots from three-point range, and shot 39.3 percent from the field. Philly shot 40 percent from three while averaging an impressive 58 percent rate from the field. The Raptors desperately missed sharpshooter Fred VanVleet, who sat out due to a strained left hip flexor.
The 76ers will now face the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the Miami Heat. Led by a big three of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry, the Heat will be quite a tough task for Philadelphia. At their best, the Sixers will match up with anyone in the NBA. But Philly has struggled to find consistency, which can’t happen if they want to get to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.
Another worry the 76ers will have going into the second round is the health of star Center Joel Embiid. Earlier this week, an MRI confirmed that Embiid had torn a ligament in his right thumb. The injury will eventually require surgery, but he has decided to play the rest of the playoffs before undergoing the surgery. The injury caused him visual discomfort throughout the series against Toronto and is seemingly impacting his play for the worse. Hopefully, Embiid is able to play through it and dominate the way we all know he’s capable of.
The 76ers will have four days rest before heading to Miami on May 2nd to play game one against the Heat.
