Getty Drake at the Toronto Raptors playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers
The Toronto Raptors were prepared to make a statement in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. And after Joel Embiid made headlines during previous Sixers wins in this series, one moment that was unforgettable was his airplane celebration after a late dunk in Game 3.
And apparently, Raptors fans, including Drake, certainly didn’t forget that it happened. So when their team was rolling past the Sixers in Game 5 and Embiid checked out after the game was out of reach, he was immediately trolled by Drake and the fanbase, as ESPN showed.
Drake and Raptors fans troll Embiid as he checked out in the 4th 😅
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While the Sixers won that previous game in dominant 116-95 fashion, Embiid’s windmill dunk was essentially what put the finishing touches on the game. It also gave Philly a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 set to be played on their home floor.
Here’s a look at the dunk by Embiid and the airplane celebration which followed, courtesy of NBA Africa:
Real time or slow-mo, doesn’t matter😍 @JoelEmbiid windmill SLAM⛹🏾♂️🇨🇲
Unfortunately for Embiid and Sixers fans, the Raptors responded in a big way, part of which included their 36-point win on Tuesday night.
Kawhi Leonard & Raptors Dominate Game 5
Toronto not only stole Game 4 in Philly to level the series at 2-2 but proceeded to dominate Game 5 and leave the Sixers on the brink of elimination. The 125-89 victory featured the Raptors getting production across the board, although they were led once again by Kawhi Leonard and also Pascal Siakam.
Leonard wrapped up the night with 21 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Siakam posted an eye-opening +35 net rating with 25 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Raptors played well across the board, with all five starters scoring in double figures, as Kyle Lowry tacked on 19 points, Danny Green scored 17 and Marc Gasol finished with 11.
As far as the bench play goes, Serge Ibaka had a strong +27 rating in 22 minutes while shooting 4-of-7 from the field and finishing with 10 points. Normal Powell (seven points), and Fred VanVleet (five points) were the other members of the second unit to log double-digit minutes.
Raptors vs. 76ers Game 6 May End Series
With the Raptors extending their series lead to 3-2, Game 6 will be played in Philadelphia on Thursday, May 9 at 8 p.m. ET. The game, which will be aired on ESPN, is a closeout opportunity for the Raptors, who would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and meet either the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics.
A trip to the Eastern Conference Finals for Toronto would be their first since 2015-16 when the team won 56 games during the regular season. They lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James in six games, dropping the final two games after managing to even up the series at 2-2 heading into Game 5.
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