Raptors 114 – Sixers 109 – The Comeback
The 76ers jumped out to a big lead early, but a new-look lineup, strong defense, and a career night for DeMar DeRozan led to a huge comeback win for the Raptors.
Early Struggles
For a while on Thursday night, it seemed like the Sixers would be fine even without Embiid. A quick flurry of threes from DeMar DeRozan kept the game close early in the first quarter.Philadelphia hung tough and began to build a lead against the Raptors bench. Things quickly deteriorated in a second quarter marred by sloppy turnovers and terrible shooting. A couple of weeks ago in LA, the Raptors let their road legs get to them in the fourth. Here it was during Q2 when the Raps looked to be playing in mud. By halftime, the lead was double digits, and every Raptor save for OG Anunoby had a negative plus-minus.
Second Half Turnaround
Things didn’t immediately change as the Raptors came out to start the second half. The starters struggled and with nine and a half minutes left in the third, Dwane Casey made a change. He pulled Valanciunas and Anunoby and brought in Pascal Siakam and Delon Wright. The result was a two point-guard look with Ibaka playing at center. A three-ball from Robert Covington swelled the lead to 22, and the game seemed like it might be getting out of hand. But, led by Wright’s defensive tenacity, the good Raptors suddenly showed up.
The Sixers didn’t make another shot for almost four minutes of game action. The Raptors ripped off a 22-2 run, thereby flipping the Q2 script with almost perfect symmetry. (The 2nd was 34-22 Philly; the 3rd was 34-23 Toronto.)
The two teams played even for the bulk of the fourth quarter, with the 76ers clinging to a small lead. The Raptors seemed to struggle forever to come up with the tying basket. Finally, with 4:42 left in the fourth, Lowry was fouled on a three-point shot. Three perfect FTs pulled the Raptors into the lead. From there, it felt elementary, although the Sixers kept it close into the final minute.
Career Night for DeRozan
Ben Simmons proved to be every bit as good as advertised. He burned the Raptors several times throughout the game and managed to throw down a couple of thunderous dunks. But his 20-6-4 line (P-R-A) ultimately wasn’t enough to match up with the Raptors backcourt. Lowry matched or exceeded him in each category, and DeRozan took the game over.
DeRozan had a huge game. He racked up a career-high 45 points, including six made threes. DeRozan demonstrated that he belongs in the upper echelon of NBA players. He carried the offensive load for the Raptors as they roared back. According to the Toronto Sun, the game marked the second-biggest comeback in franchise history,
Next up, the Sixers travel to Toronto for the second leg of the home-and-home on Saturday. While the Raptors will be rested and at home, it looks like Embiid may be active. It should make for an intriguing rematch.