Shaq predicts Raptors will be swept by Philadelphia in NBA playoffs
The Toronto Raptors may have earned plenty of praise for their play this season, but don’t count Shaq as one of their fans.
Speaking during Sunday night’s NBA on TNT broadcast, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t exactly singing the praises of the fifth-seeded Raptors.
With Toronto officially locked into a first-round playoff series against Philadelphia, Shaq offered up a prediction: the Raptors are losing in four games to the 76ers.
“Philly’s going to have a battle with Toronto in that first round, eh?” analyst Ernie Johnson Jr. asked.
“I agree with you,” fellow panellist Charles Barkley replied.
“No way,” Shaq quipped.
“Yes… have you seen the Raptors?” Johnson asked.
“Toronto is getting swept, write it down,” O’Neal said. “Write it down! Toronto is getting swept.”
"Toronto is getting swept, write it down." – @SHAQ #Raptors #Sixers #WeTheNorth
(📹: @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/tABbMQwuNS
— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) April 11, 2022
He did, however, say that Scottie Barnes was “nice,” so maybe it’s not all bad for Raptors fans.
Charles Barkley and Shaq agree on that Scottie Barnes should be the ROTY. #Wethenorth pic.twitter.com/bwlEay8ujb
— RapsMuse⚪️ (@RapsMuse) April 11, 2022
Despite finishing in the fifth seed to the fourth-seeded Sixers, Toronto held their own against their playoff opponent this season. The Raptors held a 3-1 season series lead over Philadelphia, closing things out with an emphatic 119-114 win last Thursday at Scotiabank Arena.
Toronto topped Philadelphia in the 2019 playoffs, ending the series on Kawhi Leonard’s iconic four-bounce buzzer-beater.
We’ll get our first chance to see on Saturday if Shaq’s prediction for the Raptors holds true, with tipoff coming at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT for Game 1 of the series.