Philadelphia holds a 3-1 lead over Toronto in the series
• 2 min read
The Toronto Raptors were able to extend their season with a 110-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. After winning the first three games of the series, the Sixers were unable to complete the sweep, and thus the series will now return to Philadelphia for Game 5 on Monday night. Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors with a playoff career-high 34 points, while Gary Trent Jr. added 24 points for Toronto. James Harden paced the Sixers with 22 points, and MVP finalist Joel Embiid added 21 points for Philadelphia.
Facing elimination, Toronto was the more motivated team, and that became evident early on in Game 4. The Raptors forced 16 Philadelphia turnovers and scored 21 fast-break points as a result. They also out-rebounded the Sixers (46 to 41) and scored more points in the paint (42 to 38). The Sixers are the more talented team, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to coast to playoff victories without giving maximum effort, and that’s a lesson they learned the hard way on Saturday.
With Game 5 set for Monday night, neither team has time to dwell on their Game 4 performance. Here’s everything you need to know about the fifth game in the series between Philadelphia and Toronto.
(4) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors
- When: Monday, April 25 | 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Wells Fargo Center, — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- TV: NBA TV | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
- Odds: PHI -340; TOR + 280 I O/U 210 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors
Storylines
76ers: Over the course of Game 4, it became pretty clear that Embiid’s right thumb was bothering him as he was seen grabbing at it and grimacing several times throughout the game. The big man is has torn ligaments in the thumb, and he will require surgery in the offseason. In the meantime, Embiid has vowed to play through the pain. He had the thumb heavily taped up on Saturday.
Coincidentally, Embiid had his worst game of the series in Game 4, as he scored 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the floor and secured just eight rebounds. He also turned the ball over five times. It’s fair to wonder how much discomfort caused by the thumb contributed to his relatively poor performance. While Embiid might downplay the injury to media members, it’s clear that it was an issue in Game 4, and thus it’s fair to wonder how much impact it will have moving forward.
Raptors: Fred VanVleet played just 15 minutes in Game 4 as he exited in the first half and never returned. He was ultimately ruled out for the rest of the game due to a left hip strain. He finished with five points, three assists and two rebounds, and will have further imaging done on the hip to determine the severity of the injury. The Raptors were able to take care of business without VanVleet in Game 4, but his status moving forward will obviously be something to keep an eye on, as he has been an integral part of Toronto’s success this season.
Prediction
The Sixers played very poorly in Game 4, and still only lost by eight. Expect them — and specifically Joel Embiid — to have a bounce-back performance in Game 5 and close out the series in front of their home fans. Pick: 76ers – 7.5
