Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid went T-Rex on the Toronto Raptors

It happened; it finally happened: The Philadelphia 76ers have secured their fourth win over the Toronto Raptors and will now turn their sights to South Beach for a 1-4 series against the Miami Heat.

Come Monday, the Sixers will be back on the court and will have to contest with a team featuring a former Philly legend in Kyle Lowry, the presumptive NBA Sixth Man of the Year in Tyler Herro, and… oh yeah, Jimmy “Buckets” Butler, a player that still holds a special place in the hearts of Sixers fans the world over for his run in 2018-19.

But today? Today, the Sixers avoid losing another heartbreaker to the Raptors and can fully put the haunting memory of Kawhi Leonard’s quadruple-doink in their rearview.

Though it wasn’t always pretty – see Games 3-5 – Doc Rivers’ squad made the necessary adjustments to outpunch Nick Nurse’s squad for the fourth time in six contests, and now, the Sixers will make their fourth trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in five years.

Buckle up, Philadelphia 76ers fans; there is still plenty of meaningful basketball left to be played.

The Philadelphia 76ers took care of business in a testy affair.

After two straight uninspired performances spurned on by Joel Embiid‘s demoralizing thumb diagnosis, the Philadelphia 76ers finally put the pesky Toronto Raptors away – on their home court, no less – via a dominant 132 point performance.

Was it a perfect game? Eh, not really; turnovers were still a problem, and Embiid’s touch from beyond the arc just wasn’t there, but in a game that saw the lead ping-pong back and forth as most folks expected, the Sixers pulled away in the third quarter and were able to close things out with the lead despite some mildly contentious moments late in the fourth.

And the best part? It was truly a team effort.

Tyrese Maxey caught fire like only he can, putting up 25 total points while spraying 5-12 from 3, and his teammates, James Harden and Embiid, followed suit with dominant performances of their own, with both players earning 20-point double-doubles. Danny Green, too, turned on the Super Soaker in what may be his final playoff game in Toronto – I mean, he is almost 35 – hitting four of his seven 3-point shots on the way to a 12-point performance.

In a game where Embiid’s usual chants of MVP were replaced with a word not safe for American or Canadian broadcasts, “The Process” relished the opportunity to play villain versus a fanbase that laughed at his tear a few years back. Despite his inefficiency from 3, Embiid looked far more comfortable at both ends of the court and grimaced in pain as he clutched his hand. Whether Embiid has found a way to play through the pain or he has settled on a new brace that is more resilient to punishment, Philly’s favorite Cameronian son put up yet another 30-10 double-double and was able to secure the W from the bench instead of the court.

All-in-all, not too shabby.

Will this be the year the Philadelphia 76ers break through the second round ceiling and finally make it to the Eastern Conference Finals? Will the dynamic trio of Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, and Joel Embiid be able to play like they did in Game 6, or will the defensive dominance of the Miami Heat expose the team’s lack of depth? That, my friends, is why we watch the games.