Getty Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball against Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 5, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Raptors defeated the 76ers 101-96.
The Philadelphia Sixers clash with the Toronto Raptors in what should be an entertaining Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday night.
Sunday, May 12 at 7:00 PM ET
Scotiabank Arena
Coverage: TNT
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Bookmaker
- Philadelphia Sixers vs. Toronto Raptors (-6 at -105)
- Over/Under: 209 at -110
Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons Have Big Nights
.@JimmyButler scores a team-high 25 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds in the Game VI win over Toronto.
Jimmy Butler carried the Sixers on Thursday’s 112-101 win in Game 6 with 25 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals on 9 of 18 shooting and Ben Simmons exploded for 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers.
Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Raptors with 29 points, 12 rebounds and five assists on 9-for-20 from the field, Pascal Siakam had 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals and Kyle Lowry added 13 points, six assists and five rebounds on 5 of 11 shooting. Lowry played okay but the Raptors need him to play great in order to reach the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bucks.
Ben Simmons bounced back to lead the Sixers and force a Game 7!
I criticized Ben Simmons after his poor effort in Game 5 but he bounced back on Thursday, delivering one of his best performances in the playoffs.
After having just seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, making three of the five shots he attempted and turning the ball over five times in Game 5, Simmons finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers, shooting 9-for-13 from the field in 34 minutes last Thursday.
Simmons was clearly struggling, he had more shots (34) than points (33) in the four games before Thursday but he played like an All-Star in Game 6 and the Sixers need him to replicate those numbers in order to beat the Raptors in Game 7.
Sixers vs. Raptors Trends and Prediction
The Philadelphia Sixers are:
- 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points
- 7-16 ATS in the last 23 meetings
- 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings in Toronto
The Toronto Raptors are:
- 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points
- 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss
- 5-1 ATS in their last six games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game
- 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against Atlantic Division opponents
- 4-1 ATS in their last five games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game
- 4-1 ATS in their last five home games
The Sixers outrebounded the Raptors 52-34 in Game 6 and their 16 offensive rebounds led to 18 second-chance points. Joel Embiid was inefficient, scoring 17 points on 5 of 14 shooting but he pulled down 12 rebounds and finished with a game-high +40 plus-minus (+/-). The Raptors just couldn’t protect the glass from the Sixers and they were outscored 56-42 in the paint.
All five Toronto starters had a -9 plus-minus (+/-) or worse and the team turned the ball over 12 times. Gasol, Siakam, Leonard, Green and Lowry were outplayed and the Raptors got poor production from their bench.
It is very difficult to win games like that but the home team is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings between these two teams and the Raptors will have the best player on the floor, Kawhi Leonard. A better job protecting the paint and a more balanced offense are musts if the Raptors want to win Game 7.
Pick: Raptors -6
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