The morning after the Toronto RaptorsB次元官网网址� heartbreaking overtime loss to Philadelphia that dumped them into a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 series hole, coach Nick Nurse had a simple message for his team.
B次元官网网址淚f somebody could d0 it, itB次元官网网址檇 be us,B次元官网网址� he told them. B次元官网网址淲e have nothing to lose.B次元官网网址�
The task is anything but simple. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series. But the Raptors are already halfway there.
TheyB次元官网网址檝e stared down elimination twice and emerged victorious both times. And they carry an unruffled sense of confidence into ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 Game 6 against the visiting 76ers.
B次元官网网址淲e just knew that getting one (win) could get us back in this thing and give us a chance to keep it going,B次元官网网址� Nurse said. B次元官网网址淟isten, everybody was disappointed about the 3-0 start and it felt a little heavy for a while. But when we got back to the film room the next day, I liked the body language, I liked what I was hearing communication-wise and I felt that we were ready to go.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e still in a hole. Like I said when it was 3-0, weB次元官网网址檝e just got to get one here, and now we still just need one, still just need one B次元官网网址� two games, three games later.B次元官网网址�
A win at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday would make Toronto just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after being down 3-0. TheyB次元官网网址檙e already the 14th team in history to force a Game 6 after their decisive 103-88 on Monday in Philadelphia.
The magnitude of the challenge doesnB次元官网网址檛 seem to be weighing heavy. Pressure? TheyB次元官网网址檒l tell you thereB次元官网网址檚 none.
B次元官网网址淚 love playing in this atmosphere,B次元官网网址� rookie Scottie Barnes said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just crazy, it gives you energy, great to play in.B次元官网网址�
The Raptors will likely be missing all-star guard Fred VanVleet, who is listed as doubtful with a strained hip flexor. VanVleet suffered the injury early in Game 4 and sat out Game 5. But the Raptors had already played without the oft-injured guard numerous times, including 14 games since late January. They won nine of those.
And Pascal Siakam has grown into a strong leader. He was the teamB次元官网网址檚 calming voice in a raucous Philly arena on Monday.
B次元官网网址淧ascalB次元官网网址檚 maturity and growth this year is not only on the court but just as a person,B次元官网网址� forward Chris Boucher said. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 figured out so many ways to approach (his teammates), when to approach themB次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 really beautiful to see. You see the growth and itB次元官网网址檚 a blessing.B次元官网网址�
And while VanVleet is a big loss, the Raptors have had several players B次元官网网址渏oin the series,B次元官网网址� Nurse said, from Gary Trent Jr. recovering from an illness, Thad Young bouncing back from a thumb injury, and Barnes returning from a sprained ankle that had many who viewed the slo-mo video of 280-pound Joel Embiid stomping on his foot write off the rest of his season.
B次元官网网址淚 feel great,B次元官网网址� said the happy-go-lucky Barnes, whoB次元官网网址檚 looked nothing like a timid rookie in his post-season debut, playing an air guitar on the bench during Game 4, and chucking a no-loop alley-oop in Game 5. B次元官网网址淏ody feels great. Overall mentally and physically, feel great.B次元官网网址�
The growth in other young players, particularly 22-year-old Precious Achiuwa, has been huge in the past two games.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 some confidence growing with some of those guys and thatB次元官网网址檚 we needed to have happen to get into the series,B次元官网网址� Nurse said.
The RaptorsB次元官网网址� belief in their ability to make history comes partly from the huge obstacles theyB次元官网网址檝e clambered over already.
Last season saw the team forced to play out of Tampa, Fla., because of COVID-19 border restrictions. A COVID outbreak in March saw them freefall down the standings to finish 12th and miss the playoffs for the first time in eight years. VanVleet said the season B次元官网网址渟apped the soul of every player.B次元官网网址� Nurse said the unwieldy roadblocks were more like B次元官网网址渃ement walls.B次元官网网址�
Toronto fans trumpeted their return to Scotiabank Arena this past fall, but the joy was short-lived as the Omicron variant saw the team play in front of tiny crowds, or even no crowds, for several weeks.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 everything weB次元官网网址檝e been through all year, whether itB次元官网网址檚 injuries, whether itB次元官网网址檚 COVID protocols B次元官网网址� we weathered the storm every time,B次元官网网址� Trent said. B次元官网网址�(We) stay level-headed, donB次元官网网址檛 get too high or too low, no matter what the situation is, good or bad.B次元官网网址�
And then there were the B次元官网网址減retty lowB次元官网网址� expectations, Nurse said. Having lost perennial all-star Kyle Lowry to Miami in the off-season, few picked the Raptors to make the playoffs when the season tipped off. They opened the season with cringe-worthy 98-83 loss to Washington.
B次元官网网址淎nd we just werenB次元官网网址檛 sure who we were,B次元官网网址� Nurse said. B次元官网网址淲e had kind of a funky roster, we were playing a funky style of basketball, kind of working our way through and taking it as it comes, and we were able to put a handful of four or five-game winning streaks together, get jostled around a little bit, pick ourselves up, put another four or five together.
B次元官网网址淚 just think weB次元官网网址檝e just been trying to get better and better to get to this time of year.B次元官网网址�
The Sixers will be without Matisse Thybulle on Thursday. HeB次元官网网址檚 ineligible to travel to Toronto because heB次元官网网址檚 not fully vaccinated. He had just two points on 1-for-6 shooting in Game 5, and the one basket he got credit for was an accidental tip-in by Achiuwa.
B次元官网网址擫ori Ewing, The Canadian Press
