When Will Sixers Tip-Off Playoff Series vs. Raptors?

The Philadelphia 76ers went into their 2021-2022 NBA regular-season finale unsure of who their first-round opponent could be for the playoffs. While the Eastern

Justin Grasso | Apr 11, 2022

When Will Sixers Tip-Off Playoff Series vs. Raptors? /

The Philadelphia 76ers went into their 2021-2022 NBA regular-season finale unsure of who their first-round opponent could be for the playoffs.

While the Eastern Conference's fifth and sixth seeds were locked in heading into Sunday's slate, the Sixers and the Boston Celtics could've both swapped positions.

The Sixers were in fourth place going into their Sunday night matchup against the Detroit Pistons. With a victory over Detroit and a Celtics loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sixers could've snagged the third seed and drew a first-round battle against the Chicago Bulls.

However, that's not the way everything unfolded. Although the Sixers' shorthanded lineup defeated Detroit's understaffed roster on Sunday night, the Grizzlies didn't help Philly out at all. As Memphis had already locked in their spot as the Western Conference's second seed, they had nothing to play for against Boston.

Therefore, the Celtics cruised past the Grizzlies to pick up a dominant 139-110 win. With that victory, the Celtics locked in the third seed. Meanwhile, the Sixers will remain fourth and are now set to play the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.

When Does the Series Tip-Off?

Shortly after the Sixers wrapped up their matchup against Detroit, the NBA released the schedule for the first slate of games. For Philadelphia, they'll open their playoff series against Toronto on Saturday, April 16, 2022.

The Sixers and the Raptors will tip off at 6:00 PM ET. The game will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

Published Apr 11, 2022

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA