Toronto Raptors: 3 biggest stars in promising win against 76ers

Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, and the Toronto Raptors are fresh off getting bulldozed by the rival Celtics in what was a very disappointing loss. Following three straight defeats, it seemed like they were going to get smacked around by the rival Philadelphia 76ers given how deep their squad is and their 3-point shooting skills.

After a slow start, Toronto clawed their way back to take a lead going into the fourth quarter. Following a back-and-forth final stanza that featured a handful of lead changes, it was Toronto who hit the necessary clutch shots late to finally break the streak.

Toronto pulled out a 115-109 victory against a division rival and one of the best teams in the conference. Sure, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons didn’t play in this game. That doesn’t change the fact that the Raptors won in a hostile environment on the second night of a back-to-back without Pascal Siakam.

The Raptors looked like they were going to wilt after a rough defensive first half, but thanks to this trio of standout performers, they were able to defeat the mighty 76ers.

Fred VanVleet was the leader for the Toronto Raptors tonight.

In the first half, VanVleet looked like the only player that was earning a paycheck, as he kept the offense afloat. When push came to shove in the clutch, Toronto went back to VanVleet, who authored what was his best individual showing of the season.

VanVleet scored 32 points, pulled down six rebounds, and tallied seven assists. VanVleet hit the dagger late in the fourth that sealed Philadelphia’s fate. While VanVleet hasn’t always been perfect this season, he’s starting to get in a groove, which is a worrying thought for the rest of the East.

Scottie Barnes and Chris Boucher played well for the Toronto Raptors.

Just when it looked like the 76ers were on the verge of pulling away and embarrassing the Raptors, the rookie stud Barnes was able to make his presence felt on the offensive glass. 13 points, nine rebounds, and four assists may sound like a quiet night, but Barnes’ second-half performance was simply sublime.

Not only was Barnes playing just about every defensive position imaginable, but he was causing turnovers and making some jaw-dropping passes. Barnes also rejected a driving layup by Tobias Harris that put the final nail in Philly’s coffin.

Chris Boucher looked lost during the last few games, but his game against Philadelphia provided more of the quality fans grew to expect from him last year. Boucher tallied 17 points, which is more than he had in the last five games combined, and grabbed six rebounds. If he’s back on track, that will be fantastic news for this bench.

Breakout two-way stud Gary Trent Jr. also deserves mention for his 20-point game, as three of those points came on a clutch triple that put Toronto in front for good.

The Raptors did not look like themselves against Boston, but it looks like Nick Nurse was able to wake his team up and prevail under very difficult circumstances. Toronto is about to start a long West Coast road trip, so they need all the momentum they can get.