NBA: Joel Embiid dominates as Sixers rout Raptors to take series
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Joel Embiid scored 33 points, sending the Philadelphia 76ers to a crushing victory over the Toronto Raptors.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Joel Embiid scored 33 points as the Philadelphia 76ers crushed the Toronto Raptors 132-97 to clinch a 4-2 National Basketball Association play-off series victory on Thursday (April 28).
After blowing two chances to clinch a series they had led 3-0, the Sixers came roaring back to rout the Raptors with a superb performance in Toronto that sends them into a Eastern Conference semi-final series against the top-seeded Miami Heat.
Embiid, who has been bothered by torn ligaments in his thumb in recent games, delivered a dominant display which also included 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Most Valuable Player candidate Embiid was given backing by Tyrese Maxey with 25 points while James Harden also came up big with 22 points, 15 assists and six rebounds.
"As soon as we lost Game 5 and knew we were going back to Toronto, we knew it was going to be a fight," Maxey said afterwards.
"Whether we get hit in the mouth we get back up and keep fighting, and that's what we did tonight.
"I just knew I had to be extremely aggressive. Joel (Embiid) told me on the plane on the way up here, 'We lose if we don't be aggressive.' And that's what I tried to do."
The Sixers edged into a 62-61 lead at half-time after two hard-fought opening quarters.
But Philadelphia erupted after the break to outscore Toronto 37-17 in the third quarter and effectively ice the contest.
The Sixers kept the hammer down in the fourth quarter, never giving Toronto any kind of opportunity to cut into Philadelphia's double-digit lead.
Tobias Harris added 19 points for Philadelphia, while Danny Green also posted a double digit total with 12 points.
Chris Boucher led the Raptors scoring with 25 points off the bench while Pascal Siakam added 24.
