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Will the Raptors become the first team to overturn a 3-0 deficit?

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Entering the first round of the playoffs, the 76ers Raptors prediction was a close one. Even though the Sixers are led by MVP front-runner Joel Embiid, and former MVP James Harden, the matchup was not a favorable one for Philly.

Nevertheless, the Sixers won the first three games, but a plot twist that only the NBA playoffs can deliver has seen the Raptors march right back into the series.

Will the Raptors become the first team to overturn a 3-0 deficit?

Let’s look ahead to the rest of the series and make some 76ers @ Raptors picks.

76ers Raptors prediction

With two wins under their belt, the Raptors are looking like they could be the first team in NBA history to come back from 3-0. Toronto already crushed Philly’s championship aspirations once before in 2019. There is no reason why they shouldn’t believe they can do it again.

       

Belief is the keyword here, and the Raptors do believe. Joel Embiid is playing with a thumb injury, James Harden seems to have lost his mojo, and Doc Rivers has blown three previous 3-1 leads. The momentum is all on their side.

This Raptors vs Sixers 2022 series is looking like one for the history books.

The Sixers’ Woes

Murphy’s law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. This couldn’t be any truer for the Sixers at the moment. They dominated in the first two games, with Embiid going off and Tyrese Maxey showing up. But after Embiid’s, buzzer-beating game-winner in game 3, the universe intervened.

Since then, the Sixers are looking like a shell of themselves.

In both games 4 and 5, they played lethargically. Granted, Embiid is heroically playing with a thumb injury, but there was no sense of urgency in both close-out games.

       

In the Game 6 Raptors vs Sixers preview, there is no doubt that James Harden is under the most pressure.

Since the blockbuster trade that got him to Philly, Harden has not lived up to expectations. Whether it’s father time, a hamstring injury, or just lack of interest, it doesn’t matter at this point.

If the Sixers want to see the second round, Harden has to step up and dominate. Embiid himself highlighted the problem – Harden needs to shoot more.

The big man is right, Harden is the key and if the 76ers Raptors prediction is going Philly’s way, then Harden needs to find his groove.

The Raptors are still out at +480 to win the series at FanDuel ahead of Game 6

Raptors eyeing history

Nick Nurse knows how to rally his team around a single goal, and more importantly, he knows how to coach. Add to that the fact that history could be in the making, and the Raptors have all the ingredients to pull-off a comeback.

Even without Fred VanVleet, the Raptors won game 5 by 15 points, a blowout. The big line-up that Nurse went with frustrated Philly, to say the least. With the shortest guy being 6 foot 8, the Sixers struggled to find their way to the paint and even find clean looks from deep.

Playing Game 6 in Toronto, you can bet on the Raptors to take the series back to Philly for a Game 7 showdown.

Smelling an upset

We have been waiting for James Harden to find his form since he was traded from the Nets. Expecting him to magically do it now, seems unrealistic.

And without a healthy Embiid and an MVP caliber Harden, it looks like the Raptors are on their way to making history.

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