With both the Raptors and Sixers taking care of business in the first round in five games, the two teams are set to face in the postseason for the first time in 18 years. The Sixers and Raptors will meet in the postseason for the first time in 18 years With both the Raptors and Sixers taking care of business in the first round in five games, the Eastern Conference Semifinals are now set. NBA.com is your destination for complete coverage of every series from now through the end of the NBA Finals. Series Schedule The series schedule has not been announced yet but Toronto has homecourt advantage and the series will begin at Scotiabank Arena. Game 1 - Saturday, April 27 at Toronto, Time: TBD TV: SN Game 2 - Monday, April 29 at Toronto, Time: TBD TV: TSN Network Game 3 - Thursday, May 2 at Philadelphia, 8:00 p.m. TV: SN Game 4 - Sunday, May 5 at Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m. TV: TSN Game 5 (if necessary) - Tuesday, May 7 at Toronto, TBD TV: SN Game 6 (if necessary) - Thursday, May 9 at Philadelphia, TBD TV: TSN Game 7 (if necessary) - Sunday, May 12 at Toronto, TBD TV: SN Recapping the season series Result: Raptors won 3-1 Best game: Dec. 5, 2018 - Raptors 113, 76ers 102 Best performance: Kawhi Leonard (Dec. 5, 2018) - 36 points (13-24 FG, 5-6 3P), 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 block Of the four times the Raptors and Sixers met in the regular season, the closest meeting was decided by 11 points in early Dec. The season series opened just two weeks into the regular season when Toronto defeated Philadelphia 129-112 behind 31 points from Kawhi Leonard. Kyle Lowry (20 points, 12 assists) and Pascal Siakam (15 points, 15 rebounds) each put forth impressive double-doubles while the Sixers were led by 31 points and 11 rebounds from Joel Embiid. While Ben Simmons flirted with a triple-double (11 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds), he committed 11 turnovers on the night. The next meeting between the teams would come over a month later, and the Sixers had added Jimmy Butler to an already-talented roster. Butler made his presence felt, scoring a game-high 38 points to go along with 10 rebounds but Kawhi Leonard was too much, as he finished with 36 points, nine rebounds, five steals and a block to lead Toronto to an 11-point win. The Raptors dominated on the inside in the second meeting as Serge Ibaka finished with 18 points and eight rebounds and Jonas Valanciunas scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a reserve role; Joel Embiid scored just 10 points (on 5-for-17 shooting) and grabbed 12 rebounds. The Sixers lone win came in the third meeting of the year when the Raptors were without Kawhi Leonard. Joel Embiid (27 points), Ben Simmons (26 points) and J.J. Redick (22 points) combined to score 75 points as Philadelphia earned a convincing 126-101 win at Wells Fargo Center. The Raptors were led by 26 points from Pascal Siakam and 20 points (on 6-for-16 shooting) from a hobbled Kyle Lowry. In the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this season, Kawhi Leonard scored a team-high 24 points despite shooting 3-for-11 from the field as the Raptors earned a 12-point win in Philadelphia. While he had a rough shooting night, Toronto's All-Star forward converted on 16 of his 17 free throw attempts in the game to make his presence felt on the offensive end. Both Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka added 20 points apiece while Pascal Siakam finished with 16 points in the win. In a losing effort, Joel Embiid scored a game-high 37 points to go along with 13 rebounds and three blocks while Ben Simmons finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and six turnovers. Key storyline: The Marc Gasol Effect https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/NBA_Global_CMS_image_storage/eb/f8/joel-embiid-marc-gasol-042319-ftr-nba-getty_9bftodh47q9m1xmnvrynf7w5u.jpg?t=1294628506&w=500 Both the Raptors and Sixers made a number of big moves during the regular season to bolster their respective rosters to better prepare for the postseason. Perhaps one of the biggest - quite literally - was Toronto's trade deadline move to acquire centre Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Gasol's passing ability has paid dividends for the Raptors, as evidenced by their increased efficiency on the offensive end. On the defensive end, Gasol has done an excellent job on interior scorers, most recently playing a large role in limiting Magic All-Star centre Nikola Vucevic to 11.2 points (on 36.2 FG%) in the first round. It gets no easier this series, as Gasol will now be tasked with slowing down the Sixers All-NBA centre Joel Embiid, who averaged 24.8 points and 13.5 rebounds in their first-round series win over the Nets despite the fact he wasn't 100%. While Gasol was not yet a member of the Raptors roster for any of their four meetings with the Sixers this season, he has an impressive track record against Embiid in his career. The two have met five times and Gasol has had a hand in holding Embiid to averages of 14.0 points (on 34.4 FG%), 12.4 rebounds to go along with 4.4 turnovers per game. The Gasol-led Grizzlies were 3-2 against Embiid and the Sixers. In four games against the Raptors this season, Embiid averaged 26.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. His performance on the offensive end - and Gasol's ability to slow him down - could very well be what swings this series. Three Players to Watch Kawhi Leonard vs. Philadelphia in 2018-19 (three games): 30.3 points (48.1 FG%, 50.0 3P%, 90.9 FT%), 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 steals, 2.7 assists Leonard made his presence felt in the three games in which he took the floor against Philadelphia this season. Starting with a 31-point performance early on in the year, Kawhi was the Raptors leading scorer each time they defeated the Sixers.<doc-sep>TORONTO – The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors head into Game 7 on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, TNT) with more than a spot in the conference finals at stake. Both teams have free agents – Kawhi Leonard for Toronto and Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris for Philadelphia – whose future may be predicated on the outcome of Sunday’s game. Plus, a Sixers loss may impact Coach Brett Brown’s future with the team. Philadelphia’s ownership group has high expectations for the team. So, we’ll see. But first things first. The winner of Sunday’s game plays Milwaukee in the conference finals starting Wednesday. HOW GAME 7 WILL BE WON: Blazers-Nuggets will be must-watch LAKERS HAVE A NEW COACH:Frank Vogel to join L.A., Jason Kidd joins staff Here is what will determine who wins the series finale: The stars It’s difficult to imagine either team winning without a significant contribution from their top players: Leonard, Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry for Toronto and Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons for Philadelphia. Drill down deeper, the Raptors need a tremendous game from Leonard and the Sixers need one from Embiid. The Sixers were able to win Game 6 without Embiid dominating offensively, even though he contributed with his defense, rebounding and pick-and-roll game. His offensive is necessary in Game 7 on the road. Given Leonard’s performance in the playoffs – he’s been as good or better than anyone in the postseason – it’s just about given he shows up and produces in a major way. X-factors Each team has a couple of players who can sway the outcome with a good game. Siakam’s up-and-down, inside-outside game has caused problems for the Sixers. He’s been really good but has faltered with his shot in a couple of games. We know about the lack of jump shot for Simmons, but when’s he’s speeding to the rim and passing, like he did in Game 6, Simmons makes the Sixers even better. Three-point shooting will have some impact on this game so pay attention to the Raptors’ Danny Green (38.2 percent for the series on threes, 11-for-24 in the past four games) and the Sixers’ J.J. Redick (38.2% from deep in this series, 4-for-13 in the past two games). Experience Leonard has playoff experience from his time in San Antonio, and he was the 2014 Finals MVP. But Raptors coach Nick Nurse is in his first season as an NBA head coach. He’s been on the bench as an assistant for the playoffs, but this is different. Butler has played in 65 playoff games, including some big ones with the Chicago Bulls, including a Game 7 victory. The Sixers’ Brett Brown has never been in a Game 7 as the head coach, but he has been on the Spurs’ bench as an assistant in significant games, including multiple Game 7s. Both teams will have to draw on whatever Game 7 experience they can, especially in critical late-game situations.<doc-sep>The Milwaukee Bucks are one of two teams who have reached the Eastern Conference Finals. In five games, the Bucks have achieved this faster than any other team this season; the Golden State Warriors bested the Houston Rockets in six last night, and the series between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers, as well as the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers, will conclude tomorrow. All we know is that the Bucks are going to play somebody on Wednesday as they try to move past the halfway point in their 16-win playoff objective. Will it be Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam, and the Raptors? Or will we see Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, and old friend Tobias Harris with the 76ers? If Philly wins... Philadelphia is the definition of a top-heavy team. Embiid is a legitimate superstar, and Jimmy G. Buckets is only a tier or two lower than The Process. Tobias Harris is dangerous, ditto for Ben Simmons, and while their spacing isn’t ideal they know that JJ Redick needs only a sliver of space to put up long-range buckets. Philadelphia’s starters are good. The fit is weird, but they’re so dang talented that the fit doesn’t always matter. The problem is the bench, and how little the Sixers get out of it. Mike Scott is a solid front court contributor, and Boban Marjanivich is as fun-loving as he is massive (and occasionally efficient!) But after those two, it becomes slim-pickings. Rotations shorten up in the playoffs, but when your remaining options are Greg Monroe, TJ McConnell, James Ennis, or Zhaire Smith, it gets dicey. This is the obvious advantage that Milwaukee can leverage; Philly’s starters may hold serve against Milwaukee’s, but as we saw against the Boston Celtics, the Bucks’ reserves have a tendency to put it on teams. George Hill, Pat Connaughton, Sterling Brown, Ersan Ilyasova, and the returning Malcolm Brogdon (or Nikola Mirotic, if Brogdon resumes his role as a starter) are more than capable of stepping up if a starter (or two) is having an off day...and if the starters are clicking while the bench also comes through...well, that’s how you end up with a net rating of plus-8.6. Add in the constant questions about Joel Embiid’s health and conditioning, and suddenly the talented Sixers look less formidable. If Toronto wins... Toronto doesn’t feel as top-heavy as the Sixers, but their talent fits together much more smoothly. Kawhi is a stud, Pascal Siakam is on his way there, and both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka combine size, experience, and talent to give opposing front courts fits. Playoff Kyle Lowry has been up-and-down (or for him, perhaps down-and-up? ), but Danny Green has been as steady as advertised. Like with Philly, things become more shaky after the sixth man. Fred VanVleet has had a hard time keeping up in the postseason, and former Bucks “shoulda” picks Norman Powell and Patrick McCaw have also struggled to remain consistent. The Raps are missing OG Anunoby hard, especially given that their front court depth just isn’t there. Flexing Ibaka and Gasol at the center spot works for a while, as does having Kawhi slot up to PF if Center Pascal becomes a thing, but the only insurance policy is...Eric Moreland? Like with the Sixers, the Bucks’ depth can be a strength against Toronto, but it may find that the benefits of their spacing are more important. Gasol and Ibaka are big, but are not fast, and if they have to cover Brook Lopez or Nikola Mirotic out past 30 feet consistently, there will be lanes for Giannis and Bledsoe to attack. Additionally, Khris Middleton has been as effective as anybody against Kawhi (The Claw still gets the job done, but Khris at least makes him work for it), so the game will come down to consistency. Can the Bucks consistently get the Raptors’ bigs to stretch out too far, and if Toronto goes small can Milwaukee punish that with Center Giannis lineups (featuring Ilyasova or Mirotic)? Recent history suggest that the Bucks absolutely can do either, or both, against elite competition, which Toronto absolutely is considered. So does it really matter? No. Sorry, that was a bit glib. Allow me to elaborate. The Milwaukee Bucks have the best player in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and surrounded him with a squad tailor-made to accentuate his considerable strengths. Playoff Khris Middleton is even better than regular Khris Middleton. Eric Bledsoe has shown signs of moving past last year’s debacle, and oh yeah he’s a great defender. Brook Lopez has struggled but still provides spacing out to the parking lot. These guys are custom built to score inside and out, and defend at an elite level. Not only that, but the Bucks have soundly beaten these teams already. They are a combined 5-2 against the Raptors and Sixers this season (2-1 over Philly, 3-1 over Toronto). Of course, there are meaningful caveats to the Bucks’ wins against both teams (Kawhi missed the same game as Giannis did, and Milwaukee hasn’t played Toronto since both teams acquired a Gasol brother, Philly lost one before they even got Butler and Harris, and so forth). However, it isn’t like the Bucks beat the Sixers or Raptors in ways they haven’t beaten every other team* in the league. *notably, only the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder were undefeated against Milwaukee this year. Weird! Milwaukee is the best team in the NBA. Golden State is still the favorite for the title because they’ve proven it (a few times over) and have five legitimate All Star caliber players on the roster, but Milwaukee has been a stronger team overall over the last 90+ games. The Bucks have their eye on the prize, and regardless of whether the road includes a pit stop in The Six or the City of Brotherly Love, the buck stops with the Bucks.<doc-sep>It’s been a crazy series, one that will end tonight with the Philadelphia 76ers going on the road to try to win Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors. In the first six games, each team has two blowout wins at home and a close win on the road. Throughout the series, the Sixers have gotten killed any time Joel Embiid has been off the court, and the same can be said about Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors. I expect both players to play the most minutes they’ve played all series. There are so many keys to the game, but the biggest one could be getting Ben Simmons going early, as he’s at his best when he pushes the ball in transition and crashes the offense glass. Other keys will be Embiid’s health, the shooting of Tobias Harris and JJ Redick, slowing down Leonard, keeping Toronto’s role players disengaged, and winning the non-Kawhi minutes by more than the Raptors win the non-Embiid minutes. The game being in Toronto will definitely play a factor, as each team has been much better at home this series. The Sixers have proven they can win a game up North, but it won’t be easy. They’ll need everyone to play well to get it done. There are also plenty of peripheral storylines surrounding Game 7. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, Brett Brown could very well be coaching for his job tonight. Firing Brown would be a terrible decision for a franchise used to making terrible decisions. Brown is well-liked in the locker room, so hopefully the team rallies around their coach and comes out with a great effort in Game 7. Another thing to watch for is tonight’s officiating crew. Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, and Jason Phillips are definitely not a popular group. While I don’t expect the crew to favor one team or the other, I do expect inconsistent and frustrating calls that throw off the game’s rhythm. Joel Embiid has three flagrant foul points going into this game. That means if the Sixers are able to win tonight, but Embiid picks up a Flagrant 1, he will be suspended for the first game against Milwaukee. A Flagrant 2 would mean a two-game suspension. Besides Brett Brown keeping his job, this game could also play a big role in whether the Sixers bring back Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler. It shouldn’t, but it’s the Sixers, so it very well could. Game Info Who: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors When: 7:00 pm EST Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON Watch: TNT Listed: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow: @Liberty_Ballers<doc-sep>
The Toronto Raptors are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals. Kawhi Leonard scores 41 points including the buzzer-beating game-winner as the Raptors earn a 92-90 win over the 76ers. If you missed any of the action, check below for highlights and more from this decisive Game 7, we have you covered below. Final: Raptors 92, Sixers 90 (Toronto wins 4-3) - KAWHI WINS IT Kawhi Leonard hits a game-winner as time expires to send the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals. - Kawhi Leonard goes 1-for-2 from the line and Jimmy Butler goes the length of the court to tie it up. It's 90-90 with 4.2 seconds remaining. - Joel Embiid knocks down two free throws to cut the deficit to one. It's 89-88 Raptors with 10.8 seconds remaining as Kawhi Leonard is fouled. - The Raptors fail to score and the Sixers come up with the defensive rebound. Toronto leads 89-86 with 24.1 seconds remaining. Philadelphia calls for time and is set to advance the ball for the inbound. - Here's the situation: Toronto has the ball and the lead. It's 89-86 with 33.3 seconds remaining and eight seconds on the shot clock. Timeout Raptors. - Toronto is playing excellent defence down the stretch. A steal from Kyle Lowry as the shot clock winds down leads to a Pascal Siakam layup in transition. Raptors lead 89-85 with 1:14 remaining. Timeout Sixers. - Kawhi. Leonard. Toronto's All-Star knocks down a long two to give the team a two-point lead with 1:41 left. It's 87-85 as Game 7 comes down to the wire. - JJ Redick knocks down a mid-range jumper and is fouled by Serge Ibaka in the process. He sinks the free throw to tie things up. Philadelphia gets a stop on the ensuing possession and calls for time. It's 85-85 with 3:13 remaining in regulation. - Timeout on the floor. There's 3:53 remaining in regulation and the Raptors hold on to an 85-82 lead. Kawhi Leonard has scored the last eight points for Toronto and is up to 36 points in the game to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Serge Ibaka (17 points) and Kyle Lowry (10 points) are the only other two Raptors in double figures. Joel Embiid leads Philadelphia with 19 points while every other starter has at least 13 points. The Sixers bench has scored just eight points. - Kawhi Leonard converts an and-one to give the Raptors a five-point lead but Jimmy Butler responds with two free throws after a drive. 85-82 Raptors with under four minutes to play. - These teams are going back-and-forth! Kawhi Leonard sticks a mid-range jumper to give Toronto a two-point lead. It's 82-80 with under five minutes to play. - This one's got the makings of a game that will go down to the wire. 7:46 remains in regulation and Toronto leads 75-73. Serge Ibaka is up to 17 points (on 6-for-8 shooting) in the game while Kawhi Leonard has a game-high 28 points. Jimmy Butler is warming up as he's hit a few tough buckets in the fourth to bring his total to 11 points in the game. End of Third Quarter: Raptors 67, 76ers 64 - Toronto ends the quarter with a response of its own! After the Sixers led by as many as seven points with its run, the Raptors close the quarter with a number of gutsy plays to take a three-point lead into the final frame. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 11 points in the third quarter and he now has a game-high 26 to go along with seven rebounds and two assists. Serge Ibaka has come up big off the bench and is the only other Raptor in double figures with 14 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Philadelphia is paced by 14 points from both Joel Embiid and JJ Redick while Tobias Harris has added 13 points. - Philadelphia has responded with an 11-0 run of its own to regain the lead. Timeout Toronto as it now trails 52-50 with 7:06 remaining in the third. - The Raptors open the half on a quick 6-1 run to get out to a nine-point lead and force the Sixers to call time. The score is 50-41 less than three minutes into the second half.