Tough play last night with the Pelican mission the cover by 1/2 point in Phoenix dropping my NBA Playoffs record to 2-3.

NBA Playoffs: 76ers (-7.5) Vs Raptors $

It was a devastating weekend for the Toronto Raptors. Not only did they lose game one in Philadelphia but they will be without three key players for game 2. As I wrote in my Toronto Raptor Contenders article a few weeks ago, the Raptor’s biggest weakness is their bench depth. They simply do not have the depth of talent required to sustain a successful playoff run without all their starters in the lineup.

Scottie Barnes left his NBA Playoffs debut with a sprained ankle and has been ruled out for tonight. Despite being a rookie, Scottie is a vital ingredient of this team. Gary Trent and Thadius Young are also listed as doubtful. This sudden misfortune is not something they are likely to overcome and I fear a quick ending to this series.

As I predicted, James Harden was held in check for most of the first game. The bigger problem was the tremendous play of Tyrese Maxey who lit the Raptors up for 38 points. They still have the serious problem of Joel Embiid that cannot be ignored. Toronto is a gritty team, but this may be a hole that is too big to dig out.

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