2019 NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers preview

Key Matchup: Crunch-time lineups

This may seem obvious for any playoff series, but thanks to aforementioned factors, these two teams have gone down unique paths to generate their ultimate quintets.

Toronto has quite a few combinations to make Philly sweat. With Leonard, Lowry and Siakam entrenched, the other two spots are fluid.

Does Nick Nurse want to keep Marc Gasol out there to pester Embiid and draw him away from the basket? Or would he rather run the 7’2″, 270-pound behemoth into the ground with length and athleticism?

Gasol was certainly acquired with Embiid in mind, which is sensible; he’s one of the few bigs “The Process” struggles against. With the gravity Gasol attracts as a shooter and playmaker, Embiid will have to respect him far away from the basket.

The Sixers, meanwhile, are quite limited in how they survive the final ticks of a game. J.J. Redick won’t last on a switch, and the only playable bench wing is James Ennis III. In essence, their only playable backups for this series will be Ennis and Mike Scott, the latter of whom left Game 5 against Brooklyn early.

How these final minutes go will obviously determine the series, but how each coach arrives at his final deployment will be fascinating to watch.