I, Larkins, am still on record as saying the Raptors will lose in five to the Magic. However, the Philadelphia 76ers destroyed, or rather I should say the Detroit Pistons, destroyed my bold proclamation that the Sixers were out in five after “catching lightning in a bottle” with a Game 1 vic.

 The Sixers, despite a crowd that bordered on catatonic, used their home-court advantage and took a 2-1 lead in a series few people expected to be remotely compelling. And even with the underdog up, I don’t think you can sugget it IS compelling. But we like the underdog at The Scrum, so the fact that the Sixers are somehow holding the upper hand on the indifferent Pistons, has us right riled up.

But, one thing, people: Did no one in sports-crazy Philadelphia get the memo? Are they so beaten down by three decades without a champion that they just have given up on their pro basketball team? Were the Flyers or Phantoms practising somewhere? There is no explanation for the empty seats at Wachovia Center other than this franchise has done everything in its power to alienate what is a loyal, almost maniacal, fan base.

 Which brings us to Toronto, a city that welcomed back with home arms and mucho amore its team that was so unabashedly bad in its two games on the road. The Raptor fans were reminiscent of those movies of small-town basketball when the entire populace converges on the local diner to welcome back the high school team that just lost in State. They were raucous, among the loudest home fans these playoffs, and they helped will their Raps to a critical Game 3 win that once again gave hope that Toronto could win this series if it can hold court.

But, you might say, they still have to WIN A GALL DANG GAME ON THE ROAD!!!!

The Game 3 Theory applied itself in Dallas and Toronto where the home team returns after two losses on the road — buoyed by being back in the friendly confines — and rallies for a potentially-series-altering win in the most critical of games. Only, more often than not, those games don’t end up being series-altering.

They just end up being series-prolonging.

In the end, we still believe the strong survive.