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.
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Reids appeal for the Raptors goes beyond just adding size. He brings the kind of skill set that can help a team that wants more reliability around the rim without sacrificing mobility, and that makes him a natural fit for a club looking to address a costly roster problem. Nothing has been finalized, of course, but if Toronto is serious about improving the shape of its rotation, this is the sort of move that would make people around the team pay close attention. [Read more 🡒]
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Nick Nurse knows that reality better than most, and after seeing Embiid again in a game against Toronto, he pointed to the tricky balance of keeping him available while also managing the wear and tear that comes with his workload. The Raptors coach acknowledged Embiids desire to keep playing, even when rest might be the smarter answer, and that makes every appearance feel a little more uncertain for Toronto and everyone else trying to plan around him. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Early Struggles Now Ride On Kawhis Tricky Return Decision
Kawhi Leonards season has already taken a familiar detour for Toronto, with the star forward limited to two games before a left knee injury sent him back to the sidelines. The Raptors have had to keep moving without him, and the results have been rough, with the team sitting at 3-7 while also dealing with other absences that have thinned the rotation and made every night a little harder to manage.
For now, Leonard is expected to miss at least another week, leaving Toronto to keep navigating a stretch that has exposed just how much the lineup depends on his presence. A possible return around Nov. 27 is on the table, but it will come down to how he responds physically and what the team decides is the right call, which leaves the Raptors balancing urgency against caution as they try to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]