With 34 points each of Joel Embiid And Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers won in Toronto (114-107) and won their first victory of the season. A success like no other since it is Nick Nurse’s first victory at the head of the team, and especially since it was obtained on the Raptors floor, a few months after being cut.
Unleashed from 3-point range, the Raptors got off to the best start to lead 22-12, then 25-15 after eight minutes. Gradey Dick imitates his teammates, and after 12 minutes, Toronto leads 36-27 against the Sixers falling behind on every outside shot. And then, Tyrese Maxey, silent in the first quarter, wakes up.
His duo with Kelly Oubre Jr. works wonders, and the Sixers are catching up. Danuel House Jr. brings a lot, and above all the Sixers defend better with their “second unit”. Still thanks to Tyrese Maxey, Philly returns to the locker room with only three points behind (59-56).
It is upon returning from the locker room that the Sixers will make the difference. The Maxey-Embiid duo delights, even with hand-to-hand combat, and Tobias Harris proves to be a great Swiss army knife, for stealing balls, planting 3-pointers, or finding PJ Tucker in the corner.
The Sixers signed a 15-2 to take control and make the break. The Raptors, despite the returns to the bench of Embiid and Maxey, will never get back on track, and they lose for the second time in two matches.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– OG Anunoby absent. Out for cramps against the Bulls, OG Anunoby was not recovered. Darko Rajakovic chose Gary Trent Jr. to replace him, and the shooter greatly participated in the Raptors’ big first quarter.
– Precious Achiuwa injured. What didn’t help matters for the Raptors was that Precious Achiuwa went out with an injury in the first half. Jakob Poeltl suffered, alone, to contain Joel Embiid.
– Back-to-back. The Sixers play again this evening, and for their first at home, they host the Blazers. These same Blazers will be in Toronto on Monday evening, back-to-back…
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Tyrese Maxey. Very discreet in the first quarter, he then puts on his Damian Lillard costume and the face of the Sixers changes considerably. His aggressiveness to go to the circle, combined with his 3-point skill, put Dennis Schroder to death.
✅ Joel Embiid. From the start of the match, we found the real Embiid. Served in the post or at 45°, he has space to go to the circle or hit from afar. A real headache for Toronto’s defense.
✅ Kelly Oubre Jr. Like against the Bucks, he feels like a fish in water in the 6th man, and the good news is that he seems to want to defend.
✅ Scottie Barnes. The Raptors’ best player from start to finish. Address, initiative and more creation.
⛔ Pascal Siakam. Like his teammates, he had a perfect first quarter, and as the minutes passed, we felt that he was running out of juice.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
