GRADES: Toronto Raptors 92, Philadelphia 76ers 90
The Philadelphia 76ers’ 2019 offseason has officially started.
After a thrilling Game 6 victory, the Philadelphia 76ers headed north for Game 7 as underdogs. It ended up a tight battle, with both teams clamping down on defense. It was a grueling, arduous, drawn-out slugfest.
The first quarter ended with an 18-13 Raptors lead. Halftime was 44-40. The final score: 92-90, with the Raptors emerging victorious behind one of the greatest shots in recent memory. Shout out to Kawhi Leonard for being absolute bonkers.
With the game tied and four seconds on the clock, Kawhi caught the inbounds pass and curled immediately toward the corner. Ben Simmons played tight defense and Joel Embiid brought the double team, leaving Leonard with a contested fadeaway over Embiid’s outstretched 7-foot-2 frame.
Swish.
Okay, it wasn’t a swish. It hit the rim four times before stroking the net, but in the end, the final result is all that matters. The Sixers now face an offseason of uncertainty. The Raptors will wait at least one more series to start theirs.
The Sixers competed hard. Despite a meager 15 points on nine shots, it was probably Tobias Harris‘ best game of the series. Simmons was plagued by foul trouble, but still scored 13 points and played elite defense on Kawhi. Embiid struggled to find rhythm on offense, but continued his impact as a rim protector and catch-all defensive presence. He was a team-high +10 despite shooting 33 percent and committing four turnovers.
Jimmy Butler overcame a less-than-stellar performance to hit big shots in the fourth, including a memorable game-tying coast-to-coast layup in the final seconds. He would get more credit for his heroics if, you know, Kawhi didn’t hit the first buzzer-beating Game 7-winner in postseason history.
C. Philadelphia 76ers. JOEL EMBIID. B. <strong>45 mins | 21 pts | 11 reb | 4 ast | 0 stl | 3 blk | 4 TO | 6-18 FG | 1-6 3PT| 8-9 FT | 3 PF | +10 |</strong><p>Major shouts to Embiid, who despite offensive struggles, was a team-high +10 in a career-high 45 minutes. He put on another impressive defensive display and continues to establish himself as the Sixers’ single most important player. He heated up down the stretch and helped give the Sixers a chance.</p><p>Also of note, the narrative around Embiid will naturally get twisted in a negative, unfair light over the next few days. His emotion after the game is not just understandable, but expected. He’s young and it shows just how much this game, this series and this team meant to him. Anyone questioning his heart or his ‘desire to win’ can stop now.</p>
<strong>42 mins | 15 pts | 10 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 5-9 FG | 2-5 3PT| 3-4 FT | 5 PF | +1 |</strong><p>While not his most imposing game, Harris had arguably his best performance of the series. He was the Sixers’ lone double-digit scorer in the first half and did a lot to keep Philadelphia competitive in the early going. <em>Dear, front office: Run it back. </em></p>. PF. Philadelphia 76ers. TOBIAS HARRIS. B
JIMMY BUTLER. B-. <strong>42 mins | 16 pts | 4 reb | 1 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 5-14 FG | 1-6 3PT| 5-6 FT | 3 PF | +4 |</strong><p>Butler was inefficient and lacked his typical punch. He wasn’t a prominent force in the game until the final frame, though his shot-making still became important down the stretch. His transition layup to tie the game at 90 was huge. An adult-in-the-room moment. Sadly it was outdone. <em>Dear, front office: Run it back.</em></p>. SF. Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers. BEN SIMMONS. C. <strong>42 mins | 13 pts | 8 reb | 5 ast | 1 stl | 3 blk | 5 TO | 4-5 FG | 0-0 3PT| 5-6 FT | 5 PF | +2 |</strong><p>Simmons only took five shots, which isn’t ideal. He also committed five turnovers and was plagued with foul trouble, keeping him off Kawhi for an important stretch in the fourth quarter. Even so, his elite-level perimeter defense deserves praise. He also hit his free throws. It was a series of growth for Ben — there are very real positives to build on moving forward.</p>. PG
B. <strong>40 mins | 17 pts | 4 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 1 blk | 1 TO | 5-11 FG | 4-8 3PT| 3-3 FT | 1 PF | +2 |</strong><p>Redick hit several momentum-swinging shots and made real contributions to the offense, though some of his looks were more forced than normal. He was better than expected all series and that didn’t change in Game 7. He was important, if unspectacular.</p>. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. J.J. REDICK
The Sixers’ poor execution down the stretch has led some to point fingers at Brett Brown, but Philadelphia was still a physically improbable bounce away from overtime. The Sixers stuck around, held the lead at various points, and were in a position to pull off an upset most critics didn’t think possible.
It’s also worth noting that Brown thoroughly out-coached Nick Nurse for most of the series and helped the Sixers overachieve despite a barren bench and porous roster construction, which can be directly attributed to the front office. Elton Brand and management would be making a serious miscalculation if firing Brown is the response to Sunday’s loss.
In addition to potential coaching drama, the Sixers will now face Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick‘s free agency decisions. It would be wise to run it back, if at all possible. There’s something about this group. With a full season to gel — and perhaps a better bench — the Sixers can make real noise in the East.
Next. Sixers' all-time Process roster. dark
We will have more on the game, the season and the future in the coming days. The offseason promises to be both nerve-racking and interesting. Thanks to all the readers for following along this season and make sure to stick around for future content.