Sixers - Raptors Game 2: Danny Green Says Nay

 > On a night where the Sixers more or less went into cruise control as soon as Fred Van Vliet stopped making every possible shot, my favorite Sixer might have been Danny Green. The punctuation dunk from a broken down old wing was just exceptional, and the look on Green's face said, well, yep, he didn't know he could still do that, either. "Danny dunked, he's 100%... that's like me dunking." - Doc Rivers in the post-game. Also loved the made threes and the defensive plays. Just remarkable.

> Great first quarter from Joel Embiid, and in what might be the first time in his career in the playoffs... the bench extended the lead. The Paul Reed Victory Tour continues, and don't tell me that bullying doesn't work, because Philly Fan totally bullied Doc Rivers into playing him.

> Most young players have to have a good start to have a good game in the playoffs, but Tyrese Maxey is not most players. Watching this kid in the open court is just insane -- he's faster while dribbling than other guys at a full sprint. He also nearly had a triple double, and to do all of that with no first quarter points for being deferential -- dude is just a delight. The most delight. ("I think we were all just praying he was OK." - Maxey on Green's dunk)

> The look on the Raptor bench when Embiid made the baseline shake and three -- that's a meme. Just in the presence of what the hell and yeah, this isn't our night. And with teams that go up 2-0 being 92% to win a series, maybe not that either.

> The Sixers' interior and half-court defense has been stellar, but before we start planning a parade -- they are playing a bad half-court team. Embiid has been exceptional at not going for blocks that put him out of rebounding position, but the revelation has been Tobias Harris, who keeps bullying the hell out of the smaller Raps.

> Losing Scottie Barnes and playing a sick Gary Trent meant that the Raps had to play Malachi Flynn in this game, and if Flynn is an NBA player, I'm an airplane. The Raps were supposed to be the deeper team in this series, and were also supposed to own the glass and fast break points. Nope, nope, nope.

> The Raps made a run late to make this not a rout, and it started to be a little antsy... at which point Maxey picked up a loose ball and drained a 25-footer, because he's too young to know that Philly teams blow leads and break hearts. Never grow up, Tyrese.

> For the Raps, they finally got a good game from, well, anyone -- OG Anunoby went 10 for 14 and made some remarkable shots -- but we're now two games into a series where it just doesn't seem like anyone is definitively winning their matchup. More and more, this just looks like a small team that can't score in the half-court, and won't be around much longer. Really not the series we were expecting.

> James Harden continues to do what the team needs, which is set up shooters for wide-open looks that they've been cashing in on, and limit the number of cover your eyes possessions. The little things he does, like milking the clock late, taking advantage of an overeager young defender to get to the line, and a surprising amount of defensive attention and rebounding -- aren't really pretty any more, and we're all going to regret the contract he signs. But in terms of being right for this team, right now -- yup.

> Game Three is quick turn Wednesday, and the Sixers need to manage a road game with Mattis Thybulle, as well as show the steel to choke a team out. Every new playoff game is an adventure, but when you win the first two games by a lot... well, you just may be the better team. By a lot.