76ers at Raptors
The Philadelphia 76ers finally broke through in Toronto earlier in the Eastern Conference semifinals and will have to beat the Raptors in Canada at least one more time to win the series. Toronto tied it up at 2-2 with a solid 101-96 victory in Game 4 and hosts two of the final three games, including Tuesday's Game 5.
Raptors star small forward Kawhi Leonard made five 3-point baskets while pouring in 39 points in Sunday's triumph and he has been unstoppable by averaging 38 points in the series with four straight 30-point efforts. "He's been doing it time and time again," said Raptors guard Danny Green, who has played with Leonard for eight seasons, including seven in San Antonio. "He's getting better with time and each game at picking apart the defense, taking what they're giving him." Philadelphia's win in Toronto in Game 2 ended a 14-game road losing streak in the series but the biggest factor in terms of doing it again may be the health of center Joel Embiid (illness in addition to a sore left knee). "I mean, at the end of the day, it's on me," Embiid told reporters after scoring just 11 points on 2-for-7 shooting in Sunday's loss. "I got to be more aggressive. I've got to help my teammates better."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, Sportsnet One (Toronto)
ABOUT THE 76ERS: The Game 4 loss was a huge missed opportunity for Philadelphia as taking a 3-1 series lead would have increased the pressure on the Raptors, who are expected to lose Leonard as a free agent after the season. Jimmy Butler had a stellar effort with 29 points in the setback but he agreed that the club needs a big showing from Embiid - who had 33 points in the Game 3 win - to regain the series lead on Tuesday. "We just want him to be aggressive," Butler told reporters of Embiid. "I mean, if you are going to go 2-for-7, go 2-for-20. I'm with it. ... We're rocking with Jo. That's what we need out of him, to always be aggressive. Moving forward, we expect the same thing. Go show why you're so dominant, night in and night out, on both ends of the floor."
ABOUT THE RAPTORS: Toronto bounced back from a 116-95 drubbing in Game 3 with an improved defensive effort and held Philadelphia to 40.2 percent shooting from the field. "In Game 3, we let them off the hook, and they scored 116 or 120 points or something - that's not what we do," Leonard told reporters after Game 4. "The close games we're in, the games we won, we held them under 100 points, and that's what we've gotta do." Power forward Pascal Siakam played through a calf injury in Game 4 but struggled to nine points on 2-of-10 shooting after averaging 23.3 points over the first three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors PG Kyle Lowry is just 4-of-20 from 3-point range while averaging 12.5 points and 6.3 assists in the series.
2. Philadelphia F Tobias Harris had a series-best 16 points in Game 4 but was just 7-of-23 shooting - he is averaging 13 points while going 21-of-62 from the field.
3. Toronto backup PF-C Serge Ibaka received 32 minutes of playing time in Game 4 and has his best effort of the series with 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.