- Raptors rout Sixers in a spectacular Game 5
- 76ers need to come back in Game 6
- Sixers to work on defense and pace issues
Game 6 between the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers will be one of the most challenging contests in the series. After the Raptors pulled ahead with impressive 125-89 in Game 5, the Sixers have some catching up to do.
Raptors vs Sixers Predictions – The Story So Far
The Toronto Raptors faced off with the Philadelphia 76ers in a fiery action on Tuesday that ended up with a staggering defeat for the Sixers. The Raptors played a quick game that had them break away with 21 points advantage after the second quarter.
The closest the Sixers came to catching up was 13 points. Kawhi Leonard played an outstanding game, scoring 21 points and adding 13 rebounds to his name – not too shabby a result after all. He was not the only star the Raptors had that evening.
- Date: Thursday, May 9
- Time: 8 PM ET
- Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Moneyline: Raptors -115/ 76ers -105
- Spread: Raptors -1.0 (-110)/ +1 (-110)
Pascal Siakam completely stole the spotlight with his impeccable defense and occasional pitching in to score a point. Leonard continued to apply pressure all throughout the game, leaving the Sixers cornered into their own field and somewhat lacking the spirit to stand up to the Raptors.
This eventually lead to a more deepening divide in the scoreboard and despite Jimmy Butler’s best efforts, the Raptors just couldn’t quite catch up to their opponents in terms of speed.
Game 6: What to Expect?
The Raptors were on the cusp of giving the Sixers a significant advantage in Game 4 of the series, risking an overall 3-1 score, but things have improved for the better. Slightly demoralized, the Sixes will need to find a way back into the series.
Butler acknowledged the mistakes in the Sixers defense which led to a soul-crushing 31-point end-game advantage. Playing under immense pressure, Philadelphia continued to accrue fouls (16) as opposed to only 14 points by half-time.
Relying on their stars, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, the Sixers certainly expected a slightly different outcome – one that didn’t come to pass. Embiid acknowledged that he should have done a much better job against Philadelphia:
I know I got to do a better job for us to win. I got to do the little things. When I’m needed to score the ball, I got to show up. Setting screens, I got to do a better job of rebounding the ball. So that’s on me. … I just got to do more
With their morale reaching a low-point, Game 5 will be deciding for the Sixers. The Raptors are slightly favored by the betting agencies, which means that Philadelphia are yet to stand up to the Raptors, which could happen in Game 6.