Will Sixers finish off Raptors? Storylines to watch for Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The last time the Sixers swept a best-of-seven games playoff series, their starters were Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Julius Erving, Bobby Jones and Moses Malone.
Rookie Charles Barkley scored 14 points off the bench in the Sixers’ Game 4 win over the Bucks at the Spectrum in the 1985 Eastern Conference semifinals.
The team’s last playoff sweep of any kind was a 1991 first-round victory against Milwaukee.
On Saturday afternoon in Toronto, the Sixers have an opportunity to finish off the Raptors in four games and advance to the second round. Here are the essentials:
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When: 2 p.m. ET with Sixers Pregame Live at 1:30 p.m.
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Where: Scotiabank Arena
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Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
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Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the MyTeams app
And here are storylines to watch:
Four games sounds far better than five (or more)
No NBA team has ever won a series after trailing 3-0.
The Raptors are tough, led by 17 points in Game 3, and would likely be aiming to tie the series if Joel Embiid’s second half (and overtime) Wednesday was anything besides world-class. Still, penciling the Sixers into Round 2 would be more realistic than disrespectful to Toronto.
Of course, the Sixers would prefer to extinguish the Raptors’ hopes immediately. A sweep would guarantee the team’s series ends before that of their second-round opponent; after losing two games in Miami, the Hawks beat the top-seeded Heat on Friday night. It’s also notable that Game 3 in Toronto was especially grueling. Danny Green, who didn’t exceed 40 minutes once during the regular season, played 46. Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey each went 47 as the Sixers trimmed their rotation to eight players with Matisse Thybulle ineligible to play because he’s not fully vaccinated.
The Sixers felt they made good progress in a competitive, pre-playoffs mini-training camp. There’s no question they’d be happy to have some time before Round 2.
Embiid’s thumb
Embiid was listed as “available” for Saturday’s game with a right thumb sprain.
That injury was visibly painful for the five-time All-Star in Game 3, but it didn’t prevent a spectacular performance capped by his game-winning three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in overtime.
However, any Embiid health concern is a significant story. He’s an MVP finalist, and the Sixers’ alternative starting center options don’t inspire confidence. Paul Reed has given the Sixers 10 minutes per game this series, but he’s a 22-year-old without much NBA experience. His only two starts in the league came when Embiid was out with COVID-19 in November. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers has preferred Reed over DeAndre Jordan against Toronto.
The Sixers’ hope for Saturday will simply be that Embiid remains productive and able to play. Everyone will be watching that right hand closely, though.
For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes is officially still doubtful after spraining his left ankle in Game 1. Khem Birch started Game 4 but only got 14 minutes. Precious Achiuwa scored 20 points in 36 minutes, though he missed two free throws with the game tied and 27.5 seconds to go in the fourth quarter.
What’s Toronto’s last-ditch effort?
The Sixers’ memories from their chance to sweep in the first round last year aren’t pleasant.
Embiid suffered a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, Russell Westbrook shot 3 for 19 from the floor but racked up a 19-point, 21-rebound, 14-assist triple-double, and the Wizards forced a Game 5 in Philadelphia.
The Raptors will be determined to replicate the chaos and forced turnovers that caused the Sixers’ early deficit Wednesday. While the Sixers eventually calmed the game down, in part through employing zone defense, they’ve seen that Toronto can be genuinely dangerous. A comfortable win isn’t a sure thing, even if the final result of this series is, historically speaking, essentially secure.
