(4)Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5)Toronto Raptors Game 1: Saturday, April 16 Raptors at Sixers 5:00pm ESPN Game 2: Monday, April 18 Raptors at Sixers 6:30pm TNT Game 3: Wednesday, April 20 Sixers at Raptors 7:00pm NBATV Game 4: Saturday, April 23 Sixers at Raptors 1:00pm TNT Game 5* Monday, April 25 Raptors at Sixers Game 6* Thursday, April 28 Sixers at Raptors Game 7* Saturday, April 30 Raptors at Sixers TNT *All times Central
Embiid and harden have their reputations on the line. I think this was the worst matchup the 6ers could have got
Tough matchup Raptors have a much superior coach and roster couple that with an unhealthy Harden I think Toronto wins in 7
If Embiid is unstoppable and Harden has a good game 1 and 2 like most of the time the 76ers will close it out in 5. If they don’t close it out in 5 its another Harden and Doc choke job with Raptors winning in 7.
I look forward to this being the most followed series on Clutchfans by James Hardens fans (both haters and lovers).
This thread will have like 15 pages by the end of the night itself...with that said, I think Philly wins pretty comfortably, but it's going to be one of those 6 game series where for a moment or two you might be worried about Philly pulling it off...but they will, I mean, they better...or else this will be a 100 page thread.
I’m definitely rooting against Harden. Raptors match up well against the Sixers. They basically play all wing defenders outside of Van Vleet. Raptors in 7.
Making excuses already. Quite the change from all the flexing you was doing when Harden first got to Philly. Philly has the 2 best players, they have home court, the move for Harden was a Championship or bust move for Morey/Philly and Harden as well. One does not simply leave KD/Kyrie unless you think you can win a Championship elsewhere. If Philly loses it will be a disaster and it’s cause Harden sucks.
I'm here for the spiciness from people who can't let go of Harden hate. I really don't care what happens to the series, but look forward to skilled trolls fanning the flames of the easily irritable Harden haters. It oughta be fun no matter what happens. In the meantime, as a Rockets fan, and not just a Harden hater, I'm excited about our future and what JG and Sengun, along with our upcoming picks and rest of the guys will bring to our Houston Rockets.
Severo is da bomb, JG would never have risen his level of play without them. It's like a light bulb went on thanks to their amazing music. Thank you Denver for your Latino night!
Harden will play well, he usually does in the first round. Raptors will be rather disappointing, Sixers win in 5 and look threatening for 2nd round, only to come crashing down soon
And I'm willing to bet 14 pages are going to be about Harden and 1 page will have actual basketball thought.
The haters and lovers are both fans either way. Not buying the Raptors hype, but the Sixers need 25+ point average from Harden to beat them. I also seem to remember Embiid kinda choking in the playoffs. Blame usually went to their old coach and Simmons. He must be Philly's favorite son.
John Hollinger: https://theathletic.com/3248347/2022/04/15/hollinger-2022-nba-playoffs-suns/ (4) Philadelphia vs. (5) Toronto I wrote about the Raptors earlier this week; sleep on them at your peril, because they’re dangerous as hell. They beat Philadelphia twice in late-season matchups and won three of the four games against the Sixers this season. The history of No. 4 versus No. 5 series also isn’t great for Philly; despite having home-court advantage, the No. 4 seed only wins about half the time. Though the Raptors are incredibly interesting for roundball nerds, I suspect the focus in this series will be on the Sixers — especially if they don’t win. As if series against Toronto haven’t brought this franchise enough pain already, the fallout from a defeat here could be wrenching. Is this our last time seeing a step-slower Harden as a leading man? Is Doc Rivers coaching for his job? Will he continue to play DeAndre Jordan? Also, remind me again why they signed Jordan in the first place? Philadelphia also has to contend with Matisse Thybulle’s potential ineligibility for games in Toronto (not the first time he’s been accused of not having a shot). While this is only three of a potential seven games, and the Sixers technically don’t need to win any of them, it could matter at the margins. The Raptors pretty unabashedly hunted switches for Tyrese Maxey and Harden in their two late-season meetings and will repeatedly test those two defensively. Having an ace disruptor lying in wait could shield them from the worst ravages of the Raptors’ funky offensive stylings. The Sixers have the best player in the series, by far, in Joel Embiid, and that automatically gives them a leg up. Alas, I expect Toronto to double him with endless swarms of smaller dudes with 7-foot wingspans and put pressure on Philly’s shaky supporting cast to win the series. I’m not sure they’ll be able to do it. Pick: Raptors in six
https://theathletic.com/3244311/202...and-executive-pick-2022s-first-round-winners/ No. 4 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors Scout’s outlook: “I think if there’s any team Philly didn’t want to play, it would be Toronto. Why? They just lost to the Raptors and lost the season series 3-1. People around the league are just raving about Toronto — about how innovative Nick Nurse is. … They really are unusual in terms of the kinds of lineups they can put on the floor. They can really lock you down with, at times, five guys who are, like, 6-8 and long: Precious Achiuwa, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher and Scottie Barnes. They are a very dangerous defensive team, and several of those guys can guard James Harden. They match up well against Harden. They really don’t have anybody to match Embiid, as if anybody does. They’re small there at center with Khem Birch. But they do have guys who can play the other Sixers players, including Tyrese Maxey. Maxey’s got the quickness advantage, but the other team’s got the size advantage (apart from Embiid). “And then Matisse Thybulle’s out for the games in Toronto, which is big, because the Sixers are thinned out after the trade (for Harden). … Now they’re losing one of their better defenders. … The margin between these teams is not that great, and they lose something with Thybulle not playing. “So that is going to be one hell of a series. I’m going to pick Toronto.” Coach’s outlook: “I think this is one of the most intriguing matchups of the first round. I’m going to go with Philly. I think it’s going to go the distance. With the ability of Joel Embiid and James Harden, two elite players, I think they’ll have a huge impact on the series. Obviously, the Thybulle factor in the (Sixers’) road games, in what could be three road games, is important as well. I think it’s going to be one of the better first-round matchups. “Toronto won the season series 3-1 and didn’t put up a ton of points but was able to defend. It was pretty evenly matched. I don’t think it’s going to be a high-scoring series. I just think Joel and James’ ability to not only score but put some pressure on you in the paint and get to the free-throw line will be a big factor.” Executive’s outlook: “I think it really just comes down to Embiid and his ability to control the game from his position. It’s going to be difficult for Toronto to match his size and his versatility, because the Raptors have committed to playing a style that includes a lot of like-sized players having switchability, and this is kind of the worst-case scenario for them in terms of that one individual matchup. Embiid is the one guy in the league that can play against that style and still produce at a level higher than the normal NBA center. “So Embiid would be the difference-maker in that series, but I do think it’s going to have a lot of close games and a lot of excitement because Toronto’s style and the way that they play is interesting and fun to watch.” Scout’s pick: Raptors in six Coach’s pick: 76ers in seven Executive’s pick: 76ers in six Consensus advancing team: 76ers
