The Toronto Raptors have their backs against the wall. They are in danger of being swept out of the NBA playoffs by Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers after a brutal Game 3 defeat. Toronto fell in the overtime contest after leading by as much as 17 in the first half thanks to a game-winning triple from Embiid.

The Raptors had bounced back from two blowout losses and had a strong game but ultimately could not finish the job. Now, they are all but eliminated and could be bounced in front of their home fans. Fred VanVleet expressed pride in how they fought but admitted that their failures down the stretch of the game were bad.

The Raptors had to settle for tough shots in the overtime period and allowed several offensive rebounds near the end of the fourth quarter. Allowing a close game to come out of a 17-point lead is a brutal way to lose in the NBA playoffs, especially in a game that meant so much.

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OG Anunoby, who scored a team-high 26 points, said that the good things the Raptors are doing won't matter if they keep losing.

Toronto has no more room for error. They have to find a way to slow Embiid down from the first whistle until the last. The Sixers big man has been too good. Getting Scottie Barnes back, which could happen in Game 4, would be huge but the hobbled rookie might not be enough for the Raptors.

Although the Raptors enjoyed a strong season, losing this early in the NBA playoffs and in this fashion would be a bitter end.