The 76ers return to the floor tonight to host the Toronto Raptors with six games to play on the regular season schedule as they gear up for the postseason. But while they know the playoffs are looming, there’s still work to be done. Not only in the standings but also within the locker room. They look to finish strong and establish some momentum heading into their first-round matchup. After Thursday night’s action in the NBA, the Sixers are 2.5 games behind the Boston Celtics following their 41-point victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in a battle of the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia, 50-26, now trails the Bucks by 4.5 for the number one seed.
Toronto comes to town tied for the eighth seed with the Atlanta Hawks sporting identical records of 38-38. Both teams are 1.5 games back of the seventh seed. The Raptors play the next five games on the road with the final game at home – not an easy stretch for the Raps to close out the season. The Sixers have won two of three contests so far this season, with tonight being the final one of the four-game series. For Philadelphia, it’s all about picking up the win and handling the business in front of them. Let the seeding take care of itself.
The 76ers have had to worry about the availability of their stars Joel Embiid (calf) and James Harden (achilles) over the last five games. But it seems like they’ll be ready for tonight’s matchup. One other important player to keep an eye on this evening against the Raptors will be starter Tobias Harris. Harris has appeared on the injury report as questionable while dealing with a non-Covid illness. This will most likely be monitored up to tipoff.
Probable Starters:
PHI: Embiid, Harris, P.J. Tucker, Tyrese Maxey and Harden
TOR: Jakob Poeltl, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, O.G. Anunoby and Fred Van Vleet