“Nobody roots for Goliath, you’ve got to make them call a foul” - Shaquille O'Neal slams Philadelphia 76ers for not bringing “the force” in their Game 4 defeat against Raptors

Inside The NBA analyst and former superstar, Shaquille O'Neal slammed the Philadelphia 76ers for their casual approach in Game 4 against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. Up 3-0 in this first-round contest, the Sixers were expected to make light work of Toronto and wrap up the series by a 4-0 margin.

However, they didn't play with the same intensity they had played with before in this series. O'Neal highlighted that as one of the biggest reasons behind their 102-110 loss, saying (via NBA on TNT):

"When you have a closeout game, you've to bring the force. They didn't bring the force today, they were just lollygagging through the game... Nobody roots for Goliath, you have to make them call a foul. Like they're not gonna give you fouls when you shoot fadeaways."

The game swung in the Toronto Raptors' favor because of a free-throw disparity. The Philadelphia 76ers had 25 trips to the line, while the home team had 35 attempts on the night. In addition, Joel Embiid also had a below-par performance as he scored 21 points on 42% shooting, while James Harden's struggles continued, as he managed 22 points on just 29% shooting.

These factors were vital in the Raptors' forcing a Game 5 in this series, giving themselves a slight chance in this first-round matchup.

---

Shaquille O'Neal calls out Philadelphia 76ers' lack of aggressiveness in Game 4 loss

Shaquille O'Neal is always direct when giving his opinions on players and teams. He wasn't hesitant to call out the Philadelphia 76ers not producing the goods in this first-round of their Game 4 matchup against the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers will now have their next chance at closing this series at home in Game 5.

Shaquille O'Neal claimed that the 76ers didn't play like they "wanted to win" and close the game on the road. Here's what the former NBA champion said on Inside The NBA:

"They didn't bring the force today like they wanted to close. They were okay with losing that game."

The Philadelphia 76ers have championship aspirations this year following the acquisition of James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. They also have talisman Joel Embiid playing at an MVP-caliber level, so their chances do look bright. However, they cannot afford to have loose games like they did against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Playoff basketball is all about momentum, so a win would've been more helpful to keep their spirits high moving forward in the postseason.