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The Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors square off tonight in an extremely important game two. Can Philly take a 2-0 series lead to Toronto?
The Philadelphia 76ers blew out the Raptors 131-111 in Game 1 of this seven-game series despite MVP candidate Joel Embiid's uncharacteristic showing.
Embiid struggled, scoring only 19 points – nearly 12 points below his league-best average – on 33.3% shooting on Saturday.
The Toronto Raptors made their game plan obvious from the beginning. That revolved around giving Embiid a lot of attention around the basket. This opened up opportunities for James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, who combined for 60 points on nine 3-pointers.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse is among the best in the game, but Toronto's injury report for Game 2 on Monday night leaves room for concern.
Philadelphia 76ers preview:
The Philadelphia 76ers' role players picked up the slack for Joel Embiid on Saturday, giving a glimpse of how dangerous this team can be. The Sixers beat a very good Raptors team by 20 points in Game 1 with their best player being relatively ineffective on offense.
James Harden's recent shooting struggles have been very evident, as he hasn't shot better than 50% since March 29. However, Harden has still found a way to have a huge impact, averaging over 13 assists per game in April.
Coach Doc Rivers should have a good game plan in place after seeing Philadelphia play great team basketball in Game 1.
Toronto Raptors preview:
The biggest factor for the Toronto Raptors tonight is going to be the lack of depth with two starters, Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. unlikely to play. Without two key players, it will be interesting to see what coach Nick Nurse has planned to keep pace with the 76ers. Toronto will rely heavily on Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam to play big minutes and offer big-time production.
The Raptors shot relatively well in Game 1: 48%, including 40.0% from deep. It was on defense where they struggled. Philly shot 51.2%, including 50.0% 3-point land. If they want a chance Monday night, they are going to have to address the defensive end and let that lead to fast-break points.
Prediction/Picks
76ers 1st Quarter -2.5 -105
I love the value on this first quarter spread. Expect the 76ers to come out hot as they face a short-handed Raptors squad. Embiid should have a much better offensive performance than in Game 1. Without two starters, it's hard to trust the Raptors to keep pace with Philadelphia's starting five.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
