Getty Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and guard Ben Simmons
The 2019 NBA Playoffs didn’t begin quite how the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers had hoped. After Game 1 losses for both teams, though, the No. 2 and 3 seeds in the Eastern Conference got on the right track and proceeded to reel off four consecutive wins each. In turn, they advanced to the second round of the playoffs, setting up an intriguing matchup between the 50-plus win teams.
For the Raptors, they opened the postseason with an opening-round date against the Orlando Magic. That loss featured a clutch game-winning 3-pointer from D.J. Augustin to leave Kawhi Leonard and company in an early hole. They managed to rally back and win two of the next three games by double-digits before closing out the series at home in Game 5.
It was a similar situation for the Sixers after they lost 111-102 in the series opener against the Brooklyn Nets. Philly dominated Game 2 by a score of 145-123 and proceeded to steal both games in Brooklyn as well to head back home and close out the series in Game 5 (barring a massive late blown lead). It appears both teams have turned the corner at the right time, and it now sets up the much-anticipated Eastern Conference semifinals matchup.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors 2019 NBA Playoff Preview
Toronto holds the edge over the Sixers from the regular season, winning three of four meetings. The one loss they suffered against Philly came in a game where Leonard sat out, but the outlook for both teams is somewhat different at this point. Specifically, Brett Brown’s starting lineup of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and JJ Redick haven’t played a large number of games together, but appear to be hitting their stride.
This new-look Sixers roster hasn’t faced the Raptors since the trade to acquire Harris either so Toronto will face a team they haven’t seen this season.
Embiid’s health will be a key talking point, but if his knee injury, which has been pegged as tendonitis, is able to hold up, the Sixers are a team capable of pulling off the upset. With the whole group together and healthy, Philadelphia boasts arguably the strongest starting lineup in the Eastern Conference.
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On the other side, the Raptors posted a 58-24 record during the regular season, and this was with players sitting out at various points for load management purposes. They’re well-rounded and have plenty of firepower on both ends with Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, among others.
The Raptors holding homecourt advantage is big as well, considering they went 32-9 on their own floor this season. Pairing that with the Sixers’ 20-21 road record makes this an even more interesting matchup.
76ers vs. Raptors Second Round NBA Playoff Schedule & Prediction
Note: Tentative times and dates are listed below with all information courtesy of Sports Media Watch. We know how the TNT and ABC/ESPN coverage looks, although the specific game schedule will be finalized in the coming days. It’s worth noting that the first round will be wrapped up by April 28 with the second round slated to get underway on April 29.
Although round two will begin on April 29 at the latest, there’s a chance dates and times can be changed depending on when the opening round wraps up. As Sports Media Group points out, conference semifinals matchups could potentially be moved up to April 27-28.
UPDATE: Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer revealed the schedule for the series, with the Sixers vs. Raptors being moved up to start on Saturday, April 27. The other times below remain tentative with the rest of the schedule not posted yet.
Saturday, April 27
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Sunday, April 28
- Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Monday, April 29
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Tuesday, April 30
- Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Wednesday, May 1
- Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs 9 p.m. ET (TNT)
Thursday, May 2
- Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, May 3
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time TBD (ESPN)
- Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs Time TBD (ESPN)
Saturday, May 4
- Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Sunday, May 5
- Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Monday, May 6
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
- Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rocket 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Tuesday, May 7
- *Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors Time TBD (TNT)
- *Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs TBD (TNT)
Wednesday, May 8
- *Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Time TBD (TNT)
- *Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors TBD (TNT)
Thursday, May 9
- *Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers TBD (ESPN)
- *Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs TBD (ESPN)
Friday, May 10
- *Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time TBD (ESPN)
- *Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets TBD (ESPN)
Sunday, May 12
- *Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors TBD (ABC or TNT)
- *Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets/San Antonio Spurs TBD (ABC or TNT)
- *Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors Time TBD (TNT)
Monday, May 13
- *Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Time TBD (TNT)
*If necessary
Official times and dates for the 76ers vs. Raptors series will be updated after the schedule is finalized in the coming days.
The big question becomes whether the Sixers can keep their hot recent play going in order to pull off an upset. It may truly come down to Embiid’s health, as the Raptors could have a tough time containing him while also trying to keep Simmons, Butler, Harris and Redick in check. While the Raptors were the better regular season team, it’s hard not to like Philadelphia’s upside.
Assuming the Sixers are indeed healthy and Embiid can consistently log 30-plus minutes per game moving forward, I think they advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. One additional big question will be whether Butler can slow down Leonard enough to keep him from taking over at times, and I believe he’ll manage to hold his own.
76ers vs. Raptors series prediction: Sixers in six games
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