Sixers - Raptors Game Six: Wake Up And Crush

 > By the end of any 7-game series, if you don't well and truly hate the opponent, you aren't trying. I really hate the Raptors. I hate their ugly-ass no-guard line up, I hate their fake polite profanity spewing fans, I hate their puling coach, and Drake can go die on an ice floe. I hated this team before thanks to the Kawhi bounce, I hated them last year when they tanked in the bubble and cost me money in fantasy, and I hate them now. Go the hell home and stay there. I'm going to stay up late just to make sure I see TNT take these twerps fishing. (And by the way, the rest of Canada hates Toronto, too.)

> The idea that a basketball team can win a closeout game by over 30 on the road by just, you know, making sure the ball touches the paint on offense, rebounding the other teams' brickwork and making a few threes... this really shouldn't have gone six. Especially when the opponent has no actual, you know, guards once one guy gets hurt.

> Just a joyously effective third quarter to put this away, with Tyrese Maxey doing the honors and the defense waking up to shut down defensive rebounds. If they ever could do this at home, the city might actually believe in them. 

> Nice of Joel Embiid to remember who the hell he was in the second half, and actually rebounding. My man profiles way too much as a front runner -- James Harden was the reason they held a first half lead, and Maxey blew the game open -- but still. Loved Harden's game tonight; he finished instead of begged. The fact that he didn't have to do that for very long was also a plus.

> Really nice series for Tobias Harris. Most consistent player, had 19 and 11 on very few shots and even a lack of cringe moments. He's still overpaid, he still never gets loose balls, but if he's your fourth and playing big defense while making enough threes and layups, you can win. Tonight, by a lot.

> BB Paul Reed had his best game of the series and made us all feel better about his game. He's probably going to disappear in the next series because Miami's bigs have junk in the trunk, but he's an actual NBA player, not a mascot. (OK, he's also a mascot. But still.)

> By the end of this game, when the Sixers were racking up offensive rebounds at will and the Raptors couldn't convert in transition, there was no doubt as to who the better team was. For the last three games, there was actual and credible doubt. Any game that ends with George Springer and Paul Reed dunking while guys lose their minds on the bench is a good time.

> Doc Rivers with a good game tonight, going deeper into the bench than before, and getting more credible minutes from most of the guys that he played. I'm still absolutely thrilled and relieved beyond belief to not have to watch him in a Game Seven.

> Sixers played a lot of zone tonight, which didn't help them with the rebounding, but did at least help Embiid from getting beaten to the rack by Toronto's collection of machine-line semi-bigs. 

> Why this team can't give their home fans happiness, I'll never know. If this had been Game Five, we might actually have confidence in a long run. All we know now is that when they play good, they can truck you, and when they don't, egads.

Next up is our old friend Jimmy Butler and the Heatles, who was absolutely right about the guy who doesn't play anymore (nice trade, Brooklyn! Cheer up, you have the second-best Curry!). Miami has to play guys that Harden and Maxey should punish, but they've got a real coach, bench depth, home court and a rest advantage... and if they feel really good about their next series after seeing this game, they're smoking something strong. See you next Monday night; here's hoping the Sixers send both actual Heat fans home unhappy.