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Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown says being the underdogs against the Toronto Raptors motivates him and his Sixers players.
The Sixers lost Game 1 to the Raptors by a final score of 108-95. Toronto is heavily favored to win Game 2 and the overall series.
Brown, though, says the critics don't influence the team and how they prepare for the series.
Brett Brown: "There's a reality that we understand; nobody really gives us a chance. I think 2 out of 20 (ESPN writers) thought the Sixers could win. Our local writers 0 of 6 thought we could win. We understand that. It's not anything that influences us. In fact, it motivates us"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 29, 2019
If Brown and the Sixers want to pull off the upset, they are going to need to find a way to slow down Raptors superstar small forward Kawhi Leonard, who went off for 45 points and 11 rebounds in Game 1 in 38 minutes.
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Philadelphia swingman Jimmy Butler needs to show up in Game 2 as well. The four-time All-Star was invisible the last time out, as he put up just 10 points in 38 minutes in Game 1.
Leonard made Butler look like an average player when that's not the case at all. Butler is one of the best two-way players in the game, and he needs to play like that in Game 2 for the Sixers to have a chance.
Joel Embiid also needs to have a bounce-back game. The two-time All-Star scored 16 points in Game 1 while shooting a woeful 5-of-18 from the field.
The Sixers lost Game 1 of their first round series against the Brooklyn Nets. They responded by winning four games in a row. Let's see how Philly does in Game 2 versus the Raptors.
