The Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers are preparing to meet in the second round. The matchup to watch in this series is the battle of the point guards.
In what has been a predictable and inevitable meeting, the Toronto Raptors find themselves in a round 2 matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers after both eliminated their first-round opponent in five games. This has set up an Eastern Conference Semi-Final that is sure to entertain.
There are a number of stories worth watching in this series. It will be interesting to see how each team’s bench performs. Fans should also keep an eye on the battle of the big men after Marc Gasol was effective keeping Nikola Vucevic in check and Joel Embiid missed time with a knee injury. While that may be compelling, the matchup to watch will be between Kyle Lowry and Ben Simmons.
Though they share the same position, they are quite different in their strengths. At age 33 and standing at 6’1″, Lowry plays with pace and looks to constantly involve his teammates. The far younger, 22-year-old, 6’10” Simmons, is a highly talented finesse player who can create his own shot off the dribble.
Both point guards had a rocky start in their opening first-round games, ultimately resulting in a loss for their team. Lowry had an expectedly poor first game as has been his tradition in the postseason. After being held off the scoresheet in that contest, he exploded in Game 2, tallying 22 points, four rebounds, and seven assists.
After Simmons disappointing opener, he bounced back with a triple-double. He was antagonized after that game by Brooklyn Net’s forward, Jared Dudley. Dudley told the Philadelphia Daily News:
"“I think Ben Simmons is a great player in transition. Once you slow him up in the half court I think he’s average. He’s a player that when he picks up speed he’s a load so you have to have two guys with him. It’s taking away his easy baskets.”"
That has taken over the narrative of Simmons postseason ever since.
These comments are likely the impetus for the monster night Simmons had in Game 3. He had 31 points, four rebounds, and nine assists. He also took time to mock Dudley while on the court. If there is a lesson to be learned from this for the Raptors, it’s to not poke the bear. Simmons can be a dangerous player and there is no need to motivate him further.
Lowry proves he plays better with a chip on his shoulder as well. Whether it’s a fan talking trash, a heated matchup, or something to prove, teams do not want to provoke the Philly native.
Lowry and Simmons have their own history of animosity. In a January game last season, the pair began jawing at each other after the Sixers disrespected the (then) Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl. Simmons made the mistake to challenge Lowry and meet him in the tunnels once both were ejected from that game. KLow actually showed up in the hallway, while Simmons went straight for the dressing room.
In this series, there is a good chance that Kawhi Leonard will be given the assignment to guard Simmons. This likely means that Lowry will be tasked with chasing J.J. Redick off the three-point line. Should the point guards not check each other through the series, they are still the ones to watch. With each being a leader, their respective teams find success when they perform well.
This was evident when the two have faced off in the regular season. The Raptors and 76ers met on four occasions. In their first encounter on October 30, Lowry collected 20 points and was +20. Simmons in that game had 11 points and was -13. The Raps took that one 129-112.
In their next meeting, neither player was overly impactful. Lowry finished with 7 points and was +5, Simmons had 11 and was -13. The final result was 113-102 in favour of the Raptors. Things changed in their third meeting. On December 22, Lowry scored 20 but was -8. Simmons had a better game with 26 points and was +17. This fueled the 76ers victory, 101-126.
In their final meeting of the regular season on February 5, both teams made adjustments. Lowry spent time guarding Jimmy Butler while Leonard became Simmons’ primary defender. In that contest, Lowry had 20 points and was +3 while Simmons managed 20 and was -3. Continuing with the trend, KLow had the better night and his team edged the Sixers 119-107.
The next day, Philadelphia swung a deal to acquire Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanović and Mike Scott. Then the Raptors upgraded their frontcourt, swinging a deal for big man, Marc Gasol. The makeup of each of these teams may now look different, but the engine that drives them remains the same.
There is no conclusive way to determine who has won the battle of the point guards during the regular season, but neither of them likely care. The real battle begins now because it’s all about the playoffs.
Bad blood may not still exist but it will be worth watching these two adversaries lead their respective teams and try to get the better of their counterpart.