Siakam, Raptors avoid series sweep

It was a thumbs down day for Joel Embiid and the 76ers, who couldn’t complete a first-round sweep of the Raptors.

Pascal Siakam scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, Gary Trent Jr. added 24 points and the Raptors beat Embiid and the Sixers 110-102 on Saturday. Game 5 is Monday night in Philadelphia.

“We’ll be ready, I can guarantee you that,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said.

Embiid started despite a right thumb injury that required him to wear a brace.

“It’s painful,” Embiid said. “In basketball you need to use your hand a lot.”

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series. Fans briefly chanted “Raps in seven” after both coaches emptied their benches in the final minutes.

Embiid said he injured his thumb in the first half of Wednesday’s Game 3, and had it taped at halftime. He finished that game with a decisive 3-pointer in overtime, but wore a brace afterward, and at Friday’s practice.

Although Rivers said the Sixers don’t believe the injury can get worse, Embiid was seen shaking his hand in pain several times Saturday, occasionally doubling over as he squeezed the area.

“It’s going to be something he’s going to have to deal with throughout the playoffs from this point on,” Rivers said. “It’s not going to go away. He’ll get better and better at figuring out how to use it.”

Embiid shot 3 for 10 in the first half. He finished 7 for 16 and scored 21 points in 39 minutes. He said he expects to undergo an MRI in Philadelphia Monday but will likely keep playing even if doctors recommend surgery.

“I want to play,” he said. “I would imagine that I keep playing and probably do something after the season.”

Rivers said the Sixers, who made 16 turnovers and were outrebounded 46-41, didn’t deserve to win Saturday.

“We just made so many mistakes,” he said. “You can’t win an NBA regular season game with the mistakes we made, let alone a playoff game.”

Thaddeus Young scored 13 points, OG Anunoby had 10, and newly crowned NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes had six points and 11 rebounds off the bench as the Raptors overcame an injury to All-Star guard Fred VanVleet to stave off elimination.