The Shook And Possibly Fraudulent Raptors Are Unraveling

The Raptors are being completely outclassed by the 76ers in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series. Kawhi Leonard is the only Raptor who hasn’t played like a total basket-case; as a result, the vastly more determined and cohesive Sixers are cruising to victory. The pressure is starting to show in unpleasant ways:

Joel Embiid has dominated the paint at both ends, and his work protecting the rim has all but erased Toronto’s interior offense. In the fourth quarter, fellow Cameroonian Pascal Siakam tried to drive right on Embiid, and Embiid reached out and wrestled the ball away, sending Siakam to the floor. Siakam responded by throwing a leg out to trip Embiid, earning himself a Flagrant 1 foul. Embiid and Siakam, who are pals, exchanged a friendly little dap after the play, but Embiid immediately got back to the business of owning his countryman. This was Siakam’s very next shot attempt:

The Raptors are shriveling up and fading away, like cheesy regular season try-hards, for the umpteenth year in a row. Yuck.