Toronto Raptors: 3 Takeaways from win against 76ers, including a big night for big men

The Toronto Raptors faced off against the new-look Philadelphia 76ers, but even the addition of Jimmy Butler was not enough to stop the league-best Raptors. What stood out? Here are three big takeaways.

The last time the Toronto Raptors played the Philadelphia 76ers, the Raptors cruised to a 129-112 victory. However, since that late-October matchup, the 76ers have made some significant roster changes.

In a gamble to accelerate their win-now mentality, they shipped key contributors Dario Saric and Robert Covington to Minnesota for the talented and passionate, albeit volatile, all-star Jimmy Butler.

Since arriving in the City of Brotherly Love, Butler has already drained two game-winners. However, he was unable to will his team to victory against the league-best Raptors, despite a respectable 38-point contribution. After a horrific shooting night in Denver that saw the Raptors’ 8-game win streak snapped, the Raptors were able to secure a 113-102 win against their Atlantic Division rival last night.

While back to their winning ways, there is still a lot to dissect. Here are my takeaways from the second matchup between the Raptors and Sixers.

Bonus Take: Kyle Lowry should STOP Taking Charges

Okay, I get that team defense involves everyone buying into the system and a high basketball IQ to understand switches and mismatches, but Kyle Lowry needs to stop, and I repeat stop, taking charges for his own health’s sake.

There were multiple times early on in the game where Embiid was able to get JV on a pump fake, putting him in a position to make a play. Recognizing this, there were plays where Lowry would slide in knowing Embiid would barrel down and take the full impact of the contact.

I couldn’t help but cringe seeing Embiid’s oversized frame crash into Lowry, especially knowing in the back of my mind how Steve Nash‘s later years went after a career of stepping into charges from players twice his size. We get it, Lowry, you’re a bulldog, but please save some for the playoffs.

Now, on to the actual takeaways.