The Sixers took some punches from the Raptors in Game 2, but it was the Sixers nonetheless who emerged with a commanding 2-0 series lead. Toronto just hasn’t quite had it offensively yet, and the Sixers have successfully punished Nick Nurse’s over-aggressive defensive scheme in consecutive games now. With the series shifting north to Toronto, the Raptors are desperate. That desperation should be readily apparent in Game 3.
Philadelphia has to been ready to fight off another early surge like they did in Game 2. The Raptors’ home crowd is no joke and Toronto surely recognizes the do-or-die circumstances here. No team has ever come back from down 0-3, and this Toronto team is not equipped to break the mold.
With that in mind, here’s what fans should watch for in Game 3 as Philadelphia gears up for Toronto’s best effort.
What to watch in Sixers-Raptors Game 3: Hard fouls
The Raptors play aggressive defense and the Sixers’ offense tends to frustrate opponents when Joel Embiid and James Harden are marching to the free throw line. Nick Nurse has made sure everyone — the refs included — know his qualms with how Philadelphia is officiated. The Sixers probably won’t get quite as favorable a whistle on the road, but more than that, the Raptors will probably try to set the tone with physicality from the jump. They made a valiant attempt in Game 2, and we all saw Joel Embiid hit the deck a couple times, but it’s now or never. Philadelphia has to be ready for some hard fouls.
Joel Embiid tends to embrace the fight and Philadelphia has weathered Toronto’s storm twice in a row now. There’s reason to believe they can do so again. For all of Toronto’s physicality, there’s only so much you can do when Precious Achiuwa and Khem Birch are your best answers to Joel Embiid’s hulking frame. Philadelphia has the capacity to steamroll teams while Tyrese Maxey zips around the perimeter. We’ll see if the game script can favor Philadelphia in that way for a third straight game.