Three years after the Raptors beat Philadelphia in the second round on Kawhi Leonard’s infamous shot, Nick Nurse is expecting another hard-fought series.
His message to his club: if you fall, get up quickly.
“There will be ups and downs, intense either way. We have to be ready to accept it and roll up our sleeves,” said the Toronto team coach, following a practice session on Wednesday.
Fifth in the East, the Raptors will face the No. 4 76ers starting Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena.
Game 2 will be shown Monday night, also in Pennsylvania. Games 3 and 4 will follow at Scotiabank Arena on April 20 and 23.
The venue hasn’t hosted a playoff game since Game 5 of the 2019 Finals, against Golden State. The Raptors claimed the championship the next game, on the road.
Toronto and Philadelphia have met twice in the playoffs. In 2001, Vince Carter just missed a last-second shot and the Sixers won in seven games. Eighteen years later, the result was in favor of the Raptors, thanks to Leonard’s famous shot.
Four players from the current edition were part of the roster at the time: Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Montrealer Chris Boucher.
Nurse said the current group studied footage from the run to the title to highlight that basketball in the playoffs is unpredictable.
“It was crazy (the one against the Sixers), Nurse said. Both clubs were seen as defeated several times. There were so many close matches, but also many others that weren’t close at all. It kind of illustrated what I meant: be prepared. »
The Raptors have won three of four times against the Sixers this season, including a 119-114 win at Toronto last Thursday.
The qualifying tournament giving a good respite, Pascal Siakam said he was looking forward to Saturday.
“It feels like we’re starting another season,” said the Cameroonian, who averaged 27.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists over 10 games.
“Obviously, in the playoffs, it’s going to be a little more intense, with a little more attention to detail. What you did in the regular season doesn’t matter anymore. You have to see it as a new beginning. »
The Raptors are 14-4 in their last 18 games, the best record in the NBA in that span.
That didn’t stop Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal from predicting they’ll be swept away. On TNT, he said “Take note of that”.
In the opposite clan is notably another Cameroonian, that one of seven feet in Joel Embiid, the champion scorer of the league this season.
Nurse pointed out that after much trial and error during the 2019 series, a new lineup had the most success against Embiid.
The Raptors don’t have a player to match his 280 pounds, but they have speed and long arms, Precious Achiuwa said.
“The key is to get to where he wants to go before him, to be in his legs when he wants to pivot,” said Achiuwa. It must be covered with several people and made to work tirelessly. »
Backup Thaddeus Young has 51 playoff games with the Sixers, Nets and Pacers.
“It’s completely different,” Young said. My advice to our young players is to keep your cool and calm no matter the turns of the game and the adversity.
“You shouldn’t be too downcast or too excited. You have to try to create a bubble. »