What U.S. media is saying about the Raptors after Game 3 debacle

Joel Embiid scored 33 points and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.

On Thursday night in Philadelphia, the 76ers punked the Toronto Raptors, who seemed a little too willing to be punked. The home team Sixers dominated both ends of the floor and played with the kind of physicality and bravado that should have the Raptors fuming following a lopsided a convincing 116-95 loss. Philly now has a 2-1 series lead with another home game on tap for Sunday.

But until then, there’s a lot to unpack from last night. The Raps got yet another killer performance from Kawhi Leonard — 33 points in 37 minutes — who seems poised to singlehandedly rally his team in the third quarter, only to see the Sixers’ lead balloon the moment he left the floor. The lack of support for Leonard has been problematic for a Toronto team that is experiencing dissapointing outings from co-stars Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol, and a bench that has all-but disappeared in the second round.

The no-show from the supporting cast was a focus of much of the post-game reaction and coverage from non-Canadian media outlets, who, in the aftermath of Toronto’s second-straight loss, are wondering if the Raptors have what it takes to bounce back, or if it’s the same old story in Raptorland.

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Here’s what they had to say following the Game 3 debacle:

Philly.com — Sixers sure looked like the more talented team against the Raptors in a resounding Game 3 win

The Inquirer’s David Murphy highlights what seemed like a massive talent disparity between the two clubs given nobody on the Raptors but Leonard could breath life into the team, while several Sixers stars, led by Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler, stood out.

By the end of a 116-95 blowout win that gave them a 2-1 series lead in this Eastern Conference semifinal, the Sixers had forced everyone at the Wells Fargo Center to arrive at a dramatic realization. They were the most-talented team on the court on this particular night. And they just might be the most-talented team in this series.

…

Outside of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors looked lost. Going into the series, the thought was that Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam gave the Raptors a three-headed scoring threat every bit as potent as the Sixers’ well-rounded attack. Three games into the series, Lowry has been invisible, and Brown’s defensive adjustments have rendered Siakam an afterthought. The leg whip that sent Joel Embiid tumbling to the court in the second half was the action of a man who knows he is beaten.

Deadspin — The Shook And Possibly Fraudulent Raptors Are Unraveling

A tad dramatic maybe (from Deadspin? No!) but this certainly captures the feeling of many stretches of Game 3.

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

The Ringer — Winners and Losers: Sometimes You Just Can’t Stop the Sixers

The Ringer’s Paolo Uggeti gives Pascal Siakam’s kick of Joel Embiid the ‘loser’ tag, while also calling out the Raptors’ utter lack of depth:

The playoffs have flipped the narrative on the Raptors. All season long, they were lauded for how their depth players could pick apart any team with an overwhelming wave of scoring and defense. They were so good that Kawhi only had to play 60 games and could make the term “load management” go mainstream without saying a single word. But the postseason, or at least this second-round matchup, has called into question whether their depth is their strong suit. It has created a grand stage for Leonard’s greatness while at the same time poking Kyle Lowry– and Marc Gasol–sized holes in their facade.

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This series would be quite the coronation for Leonard if his team would match his unreal performances. Instead, Lowry shot 2-of-10 and only had seven points. Gasol, aside from getting owned by Embiid, could only counter with seven points on six shots. Aside from Leonard, only Siakam scored more than 13 points, and the Sixers’ bench outscored the Raptors’ by eight points. Fred VanVleet, who has lost his powers apparently, missed all five of his 3s while Toronto shot 26 percent from deep. Even if Leonard scores 50, which he just might, it’s impossible for the Raptors to beat a team with more talent and size if they’re not hitting enough shots to keep up.

Pierce: Raptors need way more from Lowry

Paul Pierce joined Sportscenter and pointed to Philadelphia’s depth of star talent as a difference-maker in the series and echoed the sentiment of many in stating that Lowry “needs to step up” for a Raptors team looking to support the brilliant play of Leonard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Fow60fu9M

Thomas: Lowry needs to be a difference-maker

“They’ve got to do a little soul-searching here,” says former NBA champ Jason Terry on NBATV Thursday night, while two-time champ and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas singles out Lowry’s poor performance as something the Raptors can’t afford to continue if they’re going to beat the Sixers:

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