 | 76ers | 132 | Final Box Score | 97 | Raptors |  |
 A- | P. Siakam44 MIN, 24 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 9-17 FG, 0-4 3FG, 6-7 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, -32 +/- Let the game come to him, which you can quibble with, but it worked for long stretches. He dished early and pushed for his teammates in the half court. He remained a menace when doubling Embiid. Really heads-up basketball in the pick and roll, getting good switches, reaching his spots, and tossing in his shots. Took over the middle of the second attacking Harden off the dribble. In the second half, the Sixers gave him maximal attention, and he made the right passes, but his teammates just didn’t hit anything. This loss wasn’t on him. | |
 D- | O. Anunoby29 MIN, 5 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 2-7 FG, 1-4 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -26 +/- Really, really subpar. He’s not getting the ball as a primary, so he has to find other ways to chip in. He didn’t. Fouls really limited him, as he picked up three in fewer than eight minutes of playing time. Didn’t get many stationary looks and just didn’t do enough else. Never seemed to get going, and they really, really needed him. | |
 B+ | S. Barnes35 MIN, 18 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 8-20 FG, 2-7 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, -33 +/- Involved early. Scored on a duck in, an isolation (on Embiid!). Hit ahead to OG in transition, screened for Gary for a pull up. So much good in so many ways. Defensively, though, he wasn’t nearly as sharp as he was in Game 5. Did not close the gaps like he did before. In the second half, the Sixers really laid back off of him and made him a jump shooter, and he did some good, but mostly it killed Toronto’s offense. He’s a rookie. He’ll learn. | |
 D | K. Birch5 MIN, 0 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, +1 +/- Khem – Not as sharp as he was in his short stints in Game 5. His pick-and-roll coverage didn’t take a lot away, and he didn’t chip in offensively, either. Didn’t get another chance in the second half. | |
 C | G. Trent Jr.40 MIN, 19 PTS, 0 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 7-15 FG, 2-6 3FG, 3-3 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -34 +/- His jumper was on fire early. Like, wildly so. 11 points in the first quarter. Just, went berserk. Hitting spinning, off-the-dribble Kobe shots. And yet he was an overall negative. The Sixers manipulated things to get Gary switched onto Embiid on every possession. That’s tough, and though he gave great effort, it was the meat of Philadelphia’s offense. Also gave up blowbys to Harden to start the second half. I’m not sure I’ve seen a game from someone who’s so critical on offense and so hurtful on defense. Tough game, but he had a great season, and it was an almost impossible job. | |
 B | T. Young22 MIN, 0 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 0-4 FG, 0-2 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -4 +/- Used as Toronto’s zone-breaker in this one, getting early run when Toronto wasn’t creating good looks against the zone. Just incredible passing to Boucher, again and again, to dice up the onion. Nice doubling on Embiid, but he was not nearly as effective as the primary on Embiid. Didn’t score, but did a lot else. Gotta hope he’s back. | |
 A+ | C. Boucher32 MIN, 25 PTS, 10 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 7-13 FG, 2-6 3FG, 9-10 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, -11 +/- Extraordinary energy, grabbing three offensive rebounds in his first quarter and scoring six points directly as a result. Great drive and finish through traffic, too. Cut like a monster. He was Toronto’s best non-Siakam. Extraordinary game. I really hope it’s not his last in Toronto. | |
 D | P. Achiuwa22 MIN, 3 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 1-7 FG, 0-2 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -21 +/- Came into the game SWINGING, attacking the paint against rotations. Blocked by Embiid, then called for a (nonsense) charge. But then he started attacking set defenses, and the result wasn’t ideal. The Sixers attacked away from him, and he isn’t as dominant an off-ball defender as he is on the ball. No magic in this one. Like a lot of the other guys, he’s young, and he needed this experience to get to the next level. | |
 Inc | Y. Watanabe2 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -3 +/- Garbage time. | |
 Inc | M. Flynn2 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -3 +/- Garbage time. | |
 Inc | D. Banton2 MIN, 3 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 1-1 FG, 0-0 3FG, 1-3 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -3 +/- Garbage time. | |
 Inc | S. Mykhailiuk2 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -3 +/- Garbage time. | |
 Inc | A. Brooks2 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -3 +/- Garbage time. | |
 B | Nick Nurse Put in a no-win situation. The offense was broken without Trent, but the defense was broken with him. Didn’t change up the defense at the point of attack to keep Trent from getting switched onto the most threatening guys, and I really would have liked to have seen that change. Still, Trent did fine for long stretches of the series on Harden. Nurse probably did the statistically correct thing by not overreacting, but alas, not all arguably correct choices work out correctly. The team defense was loose, though it’s really not on the coach to get the team energized for such a big game. Not sure how to judge this one. | |
Things We Saw
- The defense in the first and third quarters was loooooose. No closing the gaps, late help, very little help around the rim. Bad times.
- One of the worst playoff crowds I’ve heard. Just, no noise, no energy. When the Raps went down, the crowd went silent and stayed that way. Maybe Toronto could have dug out of the 12-point hole in the early third, but the crowd didn’t believe in it. They weren’t even back from getting food and going to the bathroom. Embarrassing stuff. Lots left early in an elimination game.
- Congrats on a great season to all. Players, fans, everyone. It’s been a hell of a fun ride.
