Raptors have 76ers feeling the heat going into crucial Game 6

TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO – These have been the longest 48 hours or so of the season for the Philadelphia 76ers.

With a couple days between their Game 5 loss at home on Monday and Thursday’s crucial Game 6 in Toronto, they’ve had plenty of time to stew in their own juices. For a team that’s clearly feeling the pressure and a cast of characters with uninspiring track records at this time of year, that may not bode well.

The Raptors have scrapped and clawed their way back into a series that many assumed was all but over. No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series, and yet, here they are halfway to making history. Of course, that means the Sixers are halfway to being on the wrong side of history, and they’re well aware of it.

Their own fans spent three quarters of Monday’s contest booing them. Their MVP called out their prized trade deadline acquisition for not being assertive enough. Their head coach took time out of his media availability on the eve of Game 6 to defend his own checkered playoff resume.

From the discourse, you would think they were the ones fighting for their postseason lives. They owe the Brooklyn Nets a debt of gratitude; if not for their sweep at the hands of Boston, the backlash would be even worse.

It probably doesn’t feel this way, but they’re still in a decent spot, leading 3-2 with a couple of chances to get a win and advance. The momentum has certainly shifted, though.

Since getting blown out in a pair of losses to open the postseason, the Raptors have only trailed for 11 of 149 minutes over the last three games, including just eight minutes in regulation time. They believe that they’re the ones who should be in a position to close out the series