The Sixers Are Finding Their Groove When Few Expected Them To

Early in the 4th quarter of Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors, the script seemed to be set for a horror show: Another  4th quarter collapse that was going to give the game away and swing all the momentum back to the Raptors after being dominated by the Sixers for 7 quarters.

But then the unexpected occurred: The collapse didn’t happen and they held on to win comfortably by 15.

The first round of the playoffs seemed like the kiss of doom for the Sixers since they were facing Toronto, who have been a pain in their rear-end ever since the infamous 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals. They lost three out of four games to the Raptors this regular season and with Matisse Thybulle unable to play in Toronto, it seemed like they were going to take care of the Sixers easy. One thing that was for sure was that the Sixers could not afford to lose either of their first two games at home.

The team had struggled against Toronto, James Harden has a longer history of playoff futility than any active player, and Doc Rivers has a longer history of playoff futility than any active coach. It seemed like a recipe for disaster.

Then the bell rang (well, the starting bell, not the victory bell) and the Sixers seemingly transformed back into the Superteam we all thought they were going to be when they acquired James Harden. Embiid goes out and does Embiid things, Harden does his thing without messing it up, but the breakout star of these first two playoff games was of course Tyrese Maxey. After all those years of tanking in which the franchise sunk to the Top 3 of the draft to get playmakers and only got one in that five year span, they somehow struck gold last year by drafting a playmaker late in the 1st round despite being already an established playoff team. Maxey’s performances in these two games is exactly what the team has needed for all those years as a compliment to Embiid. His performance has also allowed Tobias Harris to be one of the best 4th options in these playoffs which is just the right spot for him to thrive.

So all 76ers fans have given the thumbs up to the team’s performance with these first two games against Toronto at home. Even their NBA champion head coach Nick Nurse has been getting totally flustered with the way officials have called the games so far, a sign that the 2022 Raptors aren’t quite like the 2019 version.

Obviously this series is far from over. The Sixers have two games to play in Toronto and with Thybulle out, the Raptors could certainly even this series at 2-2. Despite the odds against them, the way the Sixers have performed in these two games at home its definitely possible for them to steal a game in Canada and essentially lock up the series. But even if they can’t win a game up North they will still have Games 5 and 7 in Philly, an advantage we wish they could’ve had in 2019.

If they get past the Raptors then their next opponent will most likely be the Miami Heat which would definitely competitive. Meanwhile the Bucks and Celtics will most likely be on the other side in the East Finals after a grueling battle against one another. Considering that the East seemed down to the Top 3 seeds, the Sixers have thrown their hats in the mix for the conference title.