In the playoffs, it’s very hard to carry momentum from game to game — but, damn it, could we have it just this once? The Raptors played to their truest form in Tuesday’s Game 5, showing what happens when someone besides Kawhi Leonard shows up to make shots. Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol were shooting without thought. Pascal Siakam seemingly shook off an injury to return to form. Fred VanVleet had his best game in a millennia. The Raptors won by 36 damn points. If Toronto was to carry that team into tonight’s Game 6 — well, there’d be a lot less to worry about. Elimination games in Philadelphia haven’t been kind to this franchise in a small sample size, but it would appear that the Sixers are starting to run out of answers. Ben Simmons has been swallowed up, as some expected he would be. Mike Scott and James Ennis have faded. Jimmy Butler has been asked to do too much. The one behemoth casting a shadow on Game 6 is Joel Embiid. Dealing with an overzealous digestion system in Game 2 and an upper respiratory infection in Games 4 and 5, the word is that Embiid is feeling better heading into tonight’s game. Brett Brown on Joel Embiid: "He came in today and he looked good. He got more sleep over the last few nights, and he'll play tonight." — Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 9, 2019 For the most part in this series — whether it be because of injury, Marc Gasol, or another factor — Embiid has been largely lifeless. Still, the one pin in the Raptors’ balloon would be a big game from the Cameroonian. Knowing everything else, there’s every reason to be confident. Let’s get into the game details, then have at it in the comments. Where to Watch TSN, 8:00 PM EST Lineups Toronto - Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol Philadelphia - Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid Injuries Toronto - OG Anunoby (out — appendectomy), Chris Boucher (out — back spasms) Philadelphia - none<doc-sep>Philadelphia forces a decisive Game 7 with an 11-point win over Toronto. If you missed any of the action, check below for live updates from throughout the game. After Toronto's record-setting rout in Game 5, the Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Raptors and Sixers shifted back to Philadelphia for Game 6. The Sixers came out with aggression from the get-go, leading by as many as 19 points in the first half. Philadelphia maintained a big lead for the majority of the game, cruising to an 11-point win to force a decisive Game 7 If you missed any of the action, check below for live score updates, news, stats and highlights from throughout Game 6… Final: 76ers 112, Raptors 101 (Series tied 3-3) - 3:33 remains in regulation and the Sixers are still command. Philadelphia takes a 106-87 lead into the break as it looks to wrap Game 6 up. - It's past the midway point of the fourth and Philadelphia is still up 21 points. It appears there will be a Game 7 in Toronto as the deficit looks to be too large to overcome in the game's final 5:38. - Just over four minutes have passed in the final frame and the Sixers lead 95-73. Timeout on the floor with 7:48 remaining. The Raptors have been unable to get going from the floor as they are 26-for-67 (38.8%) from the field and 6-for-28 (21.4%) from deep. The Sixers, on the other hand, are shooting 48.1% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc. Joel Embiid has a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double and has an eye-popping +/- of +40. Jimmy Butler has 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds while Ben Simmons has 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. End of Third Quarter: 76ers 87, Raptors 67 - It's all Sixers right now as they've built a 20-point lead ahead of the final frame. In addition to Jimmy Butler's 21 points, the team has benefitted from 19 points, six rebounds and six assists from Ben Simmons in addition to 13 points and 12 rebounds from Joel Embiid. Philadelphia is 35-for-71 (49.3%) from the field while Toronto is just 24-for-62 (38.7%) from the field. The Sixers are also outrebounding the Raptors 41-27 through three quarters. Toronto is led by 24 points and 10 rebounds from Kawhi Leonard and 19 points from Pascal Siakam. Those two are the lone Raptors to have scored in double figures so far. - Toronto managed to cut the deficit to eight points, but Philadelphia responds once again. The Sixers use a 9-0 run to get their lead back out to 17 points and Nick Nurse calls for a timeout. Philly leads 78-61 with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter. While Jimmy Butler still has 21 points, Ben Simmons is up to 14 points in the game and Mike Scott has scored a big 11 points off the bench. Kawhi Leonard leads the Raptors with 20 points and Pascal Siakam has added 17 points of his own but Marc Gasol has failed to get on the board. Serge Ibaka (nine points) is the only reserve to have scored so far. - Philadelphia got its lead back out to 19 points early on, but Toronto has chipped back away to bring the deficit back down to 13. It's 64-51 with 8:53 remaining in the third. Timeout on the floor. Jimmy Butler is up to a game-high 21 points while Kawhi Leonard leads the way for the Raptors with 16 points and six rebounds. Toronto is still struggling from deep as it is now 5-for-22 (22.7%) while Philadelphia is 6-for-16 (37.5%). Halftime: 76ers 58, Raptors 43 - Behind 19 points from Jimmy Butler, the Sixers take a 15-point lead into the break. Butler, who scored 11 points (on 5-for-7 shooting) in the second quarter, is now 9-for-15 on the night. Ben Simmons has also made his presence felt with 10 points and six assists in the first half while Tobias Harris has eight points and eight rebounds. Toronto is led by 14 points and six rebounds from Kawhi Leonard while Pascal Siakam has 11 points and four rebounds. Kyle Lowry has five points to go along with a team-high five assists so far. The Raptors haven't been able to overcome shooting woes from the perimeter as they are now 3-for-17 (17.6%) from deep. - The game of runs continues. The Sixers saw their lead rise to 19 points before the Raptors responded with a 12-0 run of their own to bring the deficit back down to seven points. Timeout Philadelphia as it leads 42-35 midway through the second quarter. Kawhi Leonard now has a game-high 14 points for Toronto, who is now shooting 15-for-33 (45.5%) as a team. Philadelphia is beginning to cool down as it's not 6-for-13 from beyond the arc. - Philadelphia opens the second quarter on a 9-2 run and its lead balloons to 15 points. Timeout Raptors as they trail 38-23 just over two minutes into the second. The Sixers are on fire, they've connected on six of their 10 3-point attempts while the Raptors have hit just two of their 10 attempts. Reserve forward Mike Scott has come up big already for the home team with six points in four minutes. End of First Quarter: 76ers 29, Raptors 21 - At the end of one, the Sixers have built an eight-point lead thanks largely to the trio of Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons. Butler, Harris and Simmons have each scored eight points apiece, with Simmons adding five assists early on. The Sixers' second-year point guard has been markedly more aggressive thus far, which has had a positive impact on his team. Toronto is led by eight points from Kawhi Leonard and seven points from Pascal Siakam but as a team, is shooting just 2-for-9 (22.2%) from deep and 8-for-20 (40.0%) from the field. - It's been a game of runs so far. After the Raptors used a 10-0 run to take a 15-13 lead, the Sixers responded with a 10-0 run of their own to take a 23-15 lead.<doc-sep>With the basketball universe ready to stick a fork in the 2018-19 Sixers, they delivered a devastating performance in a do-or-die Game 6 in Philadelphia. They will head back to Toronto with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals this Sunday, following a 112-101 victory over the Raptors on Thursday night. This was a comprehensive performance from the home team. It took contributions from each of their stars and a pair of their most reliable bench players to get it done, and they will need each and every man who showed up on Thursday to deliver once again on Sunday. Here's what I saw in Game 6, with more to come. The Good • When you're facing elimination in a home playoff game, the worst thing you can do is get off to a bad start. The excitement in the crowd quickly turns to nerves, and the advantage you're supposed to have at home can disappear real quick. The Sixers made sure to give the home crowd something to cheer about early. It was Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris leading the way in the early going, in the different ways they go about the game. Butler's rugged, physical way of getting to the rim helped break through some physical Toronto defense, and Harris' shot finally reemerged at a time when they needed it the most. Philadelphia paid them the respect they deserved with a standing ovation after a strong first quarter, and it was obvious that both sides lifted each other up on Thursday. • If you want to credit one person for Philadelphia's torrid start to the game, Butler was the star of the show for Philadelphia. The Sixers felt the minutes Embiid was off of the floor the most on Thursday, but when they had all their best players on the floor, Butler took the game by the horns and never let go. The offensive contributions spoke for themselves. Butler finished with 19 points in the first half alone, and he abused every mismatch the Raptors were kind enough to hand him. Kyle Lowry? Just shoot over him. Patrick McCaw? Thanks for affording him a free path to the rim. Butler created his own separation time and time again, and when the shots didn't fall, he was the first man after the offensive rebound, outmuscling Toronto with some spectacular plays in mid-air. His defense was just as important. When Ben Simmons got into early foul trouble, it was Butler who was asked to take on the Kawhi Leonard assignment, and Butler played some of the best individual defense he has played all season on Leonard. After bothering his shot throughout the first half, Butler picked his pocket to put an exclamation point at the end of the first half, going coast-to-coast to put the Sixers up 15 at halftime. When the Sixers traded a couple of beloved role players for Butler last November, this is what they signed up for. Butler has proven many times over he is built for this sort of moment, and he has been their undisputed best player in this series, in a matchup that was always going to demand him to be at his best. Job well done. • The man who has taken more heat than anyone in this series, Ben Simmons, was in fine form on Thursday night. With the season on the line, Simmons came out of the tunnel like he was shot out of a cannon, and it made all the difference in the world for Philadelphia. Anybody who wants him to turn into a volume shooter is probably never going to get their wish. But Simmons is still totally capable of dictating the tempo of the game, and he did that against Toronto in Game 6. He didn't let Kawhi Leonard's presence deter him from driving, he didn't slow down when they tried to wall him off in transition, he just went full speed ahead as often as possible. When Simmons is in freight train mode, that draws the attention of the opponent regardless of how many shots he attempts at the rim. There is a big difference between this version of Simmons and the one that gets caught in mid-air, unsure of whether he's going to attempt something at the rim or fling a pass to the perimeter. I mean this sincerely — one of his best plays of the game was a missed dunk he was fouled on in the fourth quarter. He didn't have a lot of room to take off, but he didn't care, and he exploded to the rim the way he should be doing numerous times per game. A Simmons that plays with purpose is dangerous. The Sixers will not win a title unless they get this version of him, and with the stakes considered, this is one of the best games of Simmons' young career. • Stop me if you've heard this before: Joel Embiid did not have his best stuff on the offensive end of the floor against Toronto in Game 6. Marc Gasol continues to give him fits when he tries to post up, which has taken Embiid out of his usual rhythm and neutralized his ability to get to the line. And yet the Sixers were somehow a +30 in the first half with Embiid on the floor, and a +40 through three quarters. That is how important he is on the defensive end of the floor, organizing the Sixers from the paint and making sure everyone gets where they're supposed to be. Whenever he's not on the floor, the Raptors have hunted whatever poor sap the Sixers put in the game to replace him, and it has been a disaster all series. So Embiid did what the great ones are supposed to do, and he kept his butt on the floor as much as humanly possible, and he found a way to impact the game even with his shot not dropping. The Sixers dominated the points in the paint battle, and the disparity felt representative of his impact on the game.<doc-sep>We all know the stakes. All the starters are ready to take the floor. Follow along with us in the comments below as we watch the Sixers fight with their season on the line. Game Info Who: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors When: 8:00 pm EST What: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia PA Watch: ESPN Listen: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow: @Liberty_Ballers<doc-sep>
The years are ticking off our collective life, but the Toronto Raptors still refuse to do things the easy way. After a Game 5 drubbing of the Sixers, it appeared the corner had finally been turned. The supporting cast had done their part, even during a mediocre Kawhi Leonard game. Happy surprises were happening everywhere — Siakam looks healthy again! Fred is making jumpers! Band-aid Serge over everything! And yet... and yet. The concept of momentum continues to be foreign in this second round series between the Raptors and Sixers, as very little of what happened in Game 5 carried over into Thursday’s Game 6 on Toronto’s side. Once again, the open shooting went cold, the rotations reverted back to problematic, and a hungry Philadelphia team capitalized. The Raptors had their runs, but ultimately fell well short — losing Game 6, 112-101. Game 7 is Sunday night in Toronto. Statistically, the number bolded and highlighted on the scoresheet from tonight’s game is a bit off the wall: Joel Embiid posting a +40, the highest ever for a Raptors playoff opponent. Despite a relatively quiet 17 points and 12 rebounds, the Raptors’ only success in Game 6 was done with Embiid on the bench. Nick Nurse decided to risk a few spot minutes with Serge Ibaka guarding the big Sixer, and while there wasn’t much direct scoring by Embiid done in that time, it was once again where their team broke the game open. If not for the 12 minutes where Embiid were on the bench, the score would be even more lop-sided. The Sixers also got a welcome contribution from Ben Simmons, previously a no show in the series. Simmons had 21 points and eight boards, four of them on the offensive glass, as the Raptors struggled with transition defence and keeping both Simmons and Jimmy Butler out of the paint. Butler was superlative again, by the way, with a team-high 25 points on 18 shots. For the Raptors, it was a disappointing regression back to early in the series. Kawhi Leonard got his 29 points, though relatively inefficiently on 20 shots (missing all four three-pointers). Pascal Siakam had 21 points and six rebounds — probably the best Raptor, as he shot 50% and played active on the glass. Kyle Lowry was... fine, scoring 13 points but failing to recapture his energetic Game 5 form. The rest of the team? Out to lunch. Marc Gasol and Danny Green combined to go 5-for-16, as the Sixers dared both of them to make looks that fell in the regular season. Philadelphia has especially grown unconcerned with Gasol’s outside shooting, as the big man was 0-for-3 tonight, passing up at least two other wide open looks. Meanwhile, Serge Ibaka was the only player to score off the bench until garbage time — shooting 3-for-10. As a team, the Raptors missed open threes regularly, finishing 9-for-36 from distance. The struggles were apparent from the opening tip. The Sixers started the game on a 13-5 run, catalyzed by two Danny Green turnovers. The usual early substitution for Joel Embiid yielded Boban Marjanovich, though, a substitution which allowed the Raptors to attack the paint and go on a 10-0 run of their own. Leonard did the Michael Jordan trick of attacking the doubling big in the direction from which he came & having the big screen his own teammate. pic.twitter.com/fEVle6tXE4 — John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) May 10, 2019 When Embiid returned, though? Right back to Sixers momentum, as they’d go on a 10-0 run of their own to end the quarter up 29-21. Early in the second quarter, Philly would continue to dominate as Kawhi took a breather, extending their lead to 17 with another 9-2 run. Toronto tried a large lineup again with Pascal Siakam at the three, but their inability to play transition defence off misses changed the outlook from Game 5. Toronto would claw back in the middle of the quarter, again with Embiid on the bench, but continued to get smoked in minutes with him on the floor. The Sixers would head to halftime up 58-43. At the start of the third, the Sixers went on yet another run against the Raptors starters — this one a 9-0 spurt. The Raptors gained a foothold, though, as Philadelphia went to a small frontcourt with Mike Scott at centre, as a Kawhi dunk in traffic and a Danny Green three cut the lead to eight.