How To Watch Raptors At 76ers Game 1 On Saturday
The NBA Playoffs are set to begin on Saturday and the third game of the day will feature the Toronto Raptors going on the road to begin their first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Between the Ben Simmons drama and Joel Embiid putting together an MVP-like season, this year has definitely been a whirlwind for Philadelphia. Now with James Harden next to Embiid though, the mentality for the 76ers is “championship or bust” entering the playoffs.
Having both an efficient offense and an efficient defense, the Philadelphia 76ers are definitely one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference and advance to the NBA Finals.
However, the Toronto Raptors are definitely not a team to sleep on, as they have championship DNA on their roster and are more than capable of taking down the Sixers in a seven game series.
The 2021-22 season has been shaky for the Raptors, but they have dealt with a ton of injuries and have never seemed to have their entire core group healthy at the same time.
Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. make up one of the better starting fives in the entire league and with Toronto having one of the league’s best defenses, they will be a tough team to beat four times in the postseason.
Could this series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors end up being the best first-round series in this year’s playoffs?
Here's how to watch Saturday’s game, with gametimes and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Raptors vs. 76ers
- WHO: Toronto Raptors (48-34) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (51-31)
- WHAT: First Round Eastern Conference Playoffs - Game 1
- WHEN: 6:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 16
- WHERE: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
Key Stats & Facts For Raptors vs. 76ers
- The Raptors and 76ers faced off four times during the regular season with Toronto winning three games by an average of 5.3 points.
- The 76ers finished the regular season ranking eighth in points allowed per game (107.3), while the Raptors finished the regular season ranking seventh in points allowed per game (107.1).
- Philadelphia is 24-17 at home this season and Toronto is 24-17 on the road.
- Since the trade deadline (February 10), the Philadelphia 76ers lead the league in free-throws made and attempted per game.
Last Matchup:
April 7, 2022 - Raptors 119, 76ers 114
In their final meeting of the regular season, Toronto outlasted Philadelphia 119-114 in Toronto. The Raptors outrebounded the 76ers 41-37 in this game and Pascal Siakam recorded his third career triple-double with 37 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. For the 76ers, Joel Embiid had 30 points and 10 rebounds, as Philadelphia shot 19-36 (52.8%) from three-point range as a team.
Raptors-76ers Most Recent Games:
- Raptors last game: With Siakam, VanVleet and Anunoby out, the Raptors lost 105-94 on the road to the New York Knicks in their regular season finale. Toronto surrendered a combined 76 points to Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley, as the Knicks outscored the Raptors 48-42 in the paint.
- 76ers last game: Resting James Harden and Joel Embiid, the 76ers won their season finale 118-106 over the Detroit Pistons. Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points in 23 minutes, as Paul Reed and Shake Milton combined for 55 points off-the-bench.
Latest Injury News:
Raptors: NONE
76ers: NONE
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED RAPTORS STARTERS:
- G Fred VanVleet, 6-1 guard: 20.3 points, 6.7 assists
- G Gary Trent Jr., 6-5 guard: 18.3 points, 2.7 rebounds
- F OG Anunoby, 6-7 forward: 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds
- F Scottie Barnes, 6-9 forward: 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists
- F/C Pascal Siakam, 6-9 forward/center: 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists
PROJECTED SIXERS STARTERS:
- G James Harden, 6-5 guard: 22.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 10.3 assists
- G Tyrese Maxey, 6-2 guard: 17.5 points, 4.3 assists
- F Matisse Thybulle, 6-5 forward: 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds
- F Tobias Harris, 6-8 forward: 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds
- C Joel Embiid, 7-0 center: 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The 76ers are currently 4.5-point favorites over the Raptors as of Saturday morning, according to the Fanduel.com gambling website.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 216 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Philadelphia 76ers have made the playoffs for five consecutive seasons, but they have not been to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001.
- Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid became the first center since Shaquille O’Neal (1999-00) to lead the league in scoring at 30.6 points per game.
- Toronto is 33-4 this season when they score at least 110 points, Philadelphia is 38-6.
- The Raptors and 76ers have played a total of 14 playoff games all-time with each team winning 7 games.
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- How To Watch Nuggets At Warriors Game 1 On Saturday: The Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors will play Game 1 of their first-round playoff series in the Western Conference on Saturday night. CLICK HERE.
