The Toronto Raptors are still searching for a way out of their skid after a 123-113 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers inside Xfinity Mobile Arena, a game shaped heavily by absences on both sides.
Toronto was without Scottie Barnes, while Philadelphia also played without Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. Even with those names out, the Sixers found enough offense to hand the Raptors their third straight defeat.
RJ Barrett was the clearest bright spot for Toronto. He poured in a team-high 31 points on 13-for-20 shooting and hit 4 of 7 from deep.
He also pulled down 14 rebounds, finishing one shy of his career high and accounting for nearly half of the Raptors’ boards. With Barnes and Leonard sidelined, Barrett has been carrying more of the load, but his big night still wasn’t enough to keep pace with Philadelphia’s deeper bench.
Immanuel Quickley gave Toronto another needed lift after a rough outing against the Boston Celtics. He finished with 26 points, connecting on 8 of 16 shots and making 7 of 8 free throws. With so many key pieces missing, Quickley’s scoring punch kept the Raptors within striking distance.
Not everyone found that kind of rhythm. Graves went scoreless in 13 minutes and finished at -13, a tough night even though he did battle on the glass and made some solid defensive plays.
Jamal Shead also had a difficult shooting night, making just one of seven attempts in 22 minutes. He did hand out five assists, one behind the team high, but he couldn’t create enough offense of his own to swing the game.
Toronto gets right back at it Sunday against the defending champion New York Knicks. Tip-off is set for 6 pm ET at Scotiabank Arena. Fans can watch on Sportsnet or stream the game on TSN or the TSN app.
In Other News...
Sixers Just Lost Another Possible Answer Behind Embiid
The Sixers search for frontcourt stability has become a familiar subplot, and it only got a little more complicated with Dwight Powell now settling in with Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague after the Mavericks moved on from him. Philadelphia has been working through a shortage of dependable backup centers, a problem made worse by injuries and a thin free-agent market that has not offered many clean solutions behind Joel Embiid.
Powell was the kind of veteran stopgap the Sixers could have used as they try to survive the long stretch of the season without overtaxing Embiid. Instead, they will likely have to keep looking for another body and another layer of insurance at center, because the current options do not offer much security if the rotation gets tested again. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Overcame One Scary Joel Embiid Moment In Much Needed Win
The 76ers needed a steady night at home, and they got one after shaking off an early first-quarter deficit to beat the Raptors 123-112. Tyrese Maxey kept the offense moving with 27 points and eight assists, while Joel Embiid still managed 20 points even after a brief knee scare that had the building holding its breath for a moment.
For a team that has already had to navigate absences, the win carried extra value as Philadelphia improved to 10-3 and kept itself on track in the Eastern Conference race. The Sixers also did it with a shortened rotation, while Toronto was missing key pieces of its own, making Embiids early scare feel like the kind of subplot that could have changed the entire feel of the night. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Got The Relief They Needed After Joel Embiid's Early Scare
Joel Embiid gave the 76ers an early scare against Toronto when he went down with a knee injury, a moment that briefly shifted the mood in a game Philadelphia was already trying to manage without LeBron James in the lineup. The Raptors were shorthanded themselves, missing Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes, but the bigger concern for the Sixers was whether their centerpiece would be able to continue after the opening jolt.
Embiid did return, and Philadelphia steadied itself enough to pull away for a 123-112 win after a sluggish start. Tyrese Maxey and Anfernee Simons helped spark the offense with key plays when the Sixers needed them most, turning what could have been a nervous night into a much-needed result. [Read more 🡒]