NBA Playoffs 2019: TV Info, Predictions for All of Sunday's Game 7s
The final acts of the thrilling NBA conference semifinal round take place Sunday.
Philadelphia and Portland carry the momentum into Sunday's pair of Game 7s after they defeated Toronto and Denver, respectively, Thursday in Game 6.
With their stars playing at high levels, the Sixers and Blazers are more than capable of going into hostile environments and winning their respective series.
However, the Raptors and Nuggets, who have been strong at home in the postseason, will have plenty to say on the court about the final results.
The winner of the Eastern Conference series will head to Milwaukee, while the Western Conference victor earns a trip to face Golden State in the next round.
Sunday NBA Playoffs Schedule
All Times ET.
Game 7: Portland at Denver (3:30 p.m., ABC)
Game 7: Philadelphia at Toronto (7 p.m., TNT)
Predictions
Philadelphia over Toronto
The Sixers have been their own worst enemy in parts of their series with the Raptors, but they showed in Game 6 how dominant of a team they can be.
Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris all chipped double-digit point totals in support of Jimmy Butler, who has been the team's best player in the postseason.
If Brett Brown's team is able to get a similar dose of all-around scoring Sunday, it will be hard for the home side to stop it.
The key to success is Simmons, who exploded for 21 points in Game 6 after struggling to consistently hit double digits in the first five games of the series. If Simmons is able to drive into the lane and take smart jump shots, he should have the same amount of success as he did in Game 6.
Embiid is the other key for the Sixers, as he's coming off a plus-40 game with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
If Embiid continues to affect each aspect of the contest, the Sixers will hand themselves the opportunity to break away for stretches.
But the one concern for the Sixers is their bench play. The backup big men have been close to useless in the series, and when Boban Marjanovic or Greg Monroe is on the court, the Raptors should cut into the lead.
That means the Sixers will have to rely on their seven-man rotation to get the job done on the road, even if it calls for Embiid playing most of the game.
The Raptors are not out of the series by any stretch of the imagination. Kawhi Leonard can still take over the game and enact revenge for the Game 6 defeat.
But unlike Butler, Leonard does not have three or four other consistent scorers to back him up.
Pascal Siakam has been a solid No. 2 scoring option for Nick Nurse's team, but in order to take Game 7, Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Danny Green all need to come close to hitting 15 points.
Portland over Denver
The stars for both the Nuggets and Blazers have made significant impacts on the first six games of the series, and the same is expected in Game 7.
Sunday afternoon's game could end up being a duel between Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
McCollum and Lillard have the edge in momentum after they combined for 62 points in Game 6 to force the series back to the Pepsi Center.
In Denver's Game 5 win at home, Jokic and Murray combined for 43 points, while Paul Millsap chipped in 24 points.
The superstars on each side should feature in starring roles, but the supporting casts will also be important.
In Game 6, Rodney Hood and Zach Collins came alive for a combined 39 points off the bench to erase the concerns about the scoring production of the other three starters.
If Hood, Collins and Seth Curry are able to make their presence known in the scoring column, Portland should overwhelm Denver.
In Portland's Game 2 victory at Pepsi Center, Hood and Collins totaled 25 points, while Enes Kanter and Al-Farouq Aminu joined Lillard and McCollum in double digits from the starting lineup.
If Terry Stotts' team produces another all-around offensive effort, it will move on to face Golden State.
Denver will attempt to provide an answer, especially in the paint where Jokic carries a significant advantage, but it needs more than the 13 points it got off the bench in Game 6 to put Portland away.
If one of Denver's bench players is able to make his presence known around the basket, its chances of winning will increase.
But if it is just Jokic and Murray leading the charge, the Nuggets could fall short while the majority of the Blazers rotation chips in to earn a spot in the Western Conference Finals.
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