Capsule for Eastern Conference semifinal series between Toronto and Philadelphia:
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No. 2 TORONTO RAPTORS (58-24, 4-1) vs. No. 3 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (51-31, 4-1)
Season series: Raptors, 3-1
Story line: These are two teams looking for a breakthrough; Philly’s “Process” was endured with deep playoff runs in mind, and Toronto made the bold move to get Kawhi Leonard last summer with the hopes of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time. Whichever team falls in this series may be looking at big changes this off-season.
Key matchup: Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid vs. Toronto’s Marc Gasol. Embiid isn’t 100 per cent with some knee soreness, but was still dominant at times in the first-round series against Brooklyn. Gasol is a past defensive player of the year and is as crafty as can be on that end of the floor.
Prediction: Raptors in 7.
— AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds
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