NBA Starting Lineups and Match Prediction - Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors - Game 7
Before the beginning of the series, most of the fans and analysts expected the Toronto Raptors to go past the Philadelphia 76ers easily. However, that has not been the case as Joel Embiid and the Sixers have been putting on a show and have managed to come back from down 2-3 to send this game to Game 7.
When: May 13, 4:30 AM IST
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Watch: TNT
The Toronto Raptors' perspective
The Toronto Raptors are a great team and have showed that they can really win it all in the East all season long. Kawhi Leonard, who is one of the top three two-way players in the league, has been the cornerstone of this success and the Raptors have a really good chance to finish the Sixers at home.
However, one major concern for the Raptors is Kyle Lowry's inconsistency. The 33-year-old is one of the best point guards in the league and his skills as a point guard do not need to be questioned. What needs to be questioned however is his consistency as he is really struggling to score with ball in his hands.
For the Raptors to win Game 7, they need Lowry to help Leonard on the offensive end as there is a high chance that the Sixers double team Kawhi to disrupt the Raptors' flow. While Pascal Siakam has been doing a great job scoring and is easily the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player of the year award this season, they would need Lowry to show up in what is expected to be a high intense battle.
The predicted Toronto Raptors' starting line-up:
Pascal Siakam (F), Kawhi Leonard (F), Serge Ibaka (C), Danny Green (G) and Kyle Lowry (G)
The Philadelphia 76ers' perspective
The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the best starting lineups in the league with All-Star players who can compete against any of the teams in the league. Joel Embiid is the heart of this team as he has showed all season long with his stellar performances.
While Embiid is definitely one of the best centers in the league, his health continues to bother the Sixers as he has been unhealthy for the entire series. His knee wasn't 100 percent before Game 1 which reflected in his performance.
He then played Game 2 with gastroenteritis and finished with 12 points. He played Game 4 taking an IV and played Game 5 with an upper respiratory issue. The problem is crystal clear and that is Embiid's health.
Although Embiid is their main weapon, they have players like Jimmy Butler who can get you buckets at will and this is something the 29-year-old has showed in Game 6 scoring 25 points on 9-18 shooting. One more good news for the Sixers is that Simmons who has been cold for pretty much the entire series has come out of that slump and scored 21 points and 8 rebounds in Game 6.
The predicted Philadelphia 76ers starting line-up:
Tobias Harris (F), Jimmy Butler (F), Joel Embiid (C), Ben Simmons (G) and JJ Redick (G)
Prediction
Toronto Raptors to beat the Philadelphia 76er