The betting line in Las Vegas said the Philadelphia 76ers were going to lose at home to the Toronto Raptors. That was not the case as the Sixers blew them out.
Philadelphia sports teams have recently done rather well when the professional gamblers say they are going to lose at home in the playoffs (see Eagles-Super Bowl).
The Philadelphia 76ers were 1.5 point underdogs for Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors even though they were playing at home, where they are much better, and just having won in Toronto.
Apparently, those who make a living at betting thought Game 2 was a fluke and that Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakim & Company would go back to tearing the Sixers to shreds like in the series opener.
Apparently, they were really, REALLY wrong.
The 76ers rolled to a 116-95 victory over the Raptors as both teams cleared their benches with about four minutes to go. The Sixers now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal.
A Joel Embiid who did not have to spend the day running to the bathroom and needing an IV (like in Game 2) is a player the Raptors had no answer for. Embiid scored 33 points in 28 minutes as he torched designated Embiid-stopper Marc Gasol and was a monster on defense.
The big difference in the game was that the Sixers finally got their usually lethal offense firing on all cylinders on Thursday night. After scoring 94 and 95 points in the first two games, the Sixers exploded for 20 more points than their previous high.
The key point in the game came early in the fourth quarter.
The Sixers held as much as an 18-point lead in the third quarter but the Raptors had cut the margin to eight by the end of the period. Having regained the momentum, Toronto coach Nick Nurse tried to steal a few minutes of rest for Leonard.
Big mistake! The Sixers began the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run and held a 16-point lead by the time Nurse could get Leonard back in but, by then, the contest was basically over as the Sixers went on to hold as much as a 26-point lead in the fourth quarter.
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The Raptors depth, supposedly one of their strengths, was once again lacking. No one scored more than 10 points except Leonard and Siakam.
The Sixers superior ball movement was on display as they notched 29 assists on 43 baskets.
As dominant as the 76ers looked on Thursday, the Raptors can regain home-court advantage with a win Sunday in Game 4.
What will be the point spread for that game?