The Sixer Sense
Fansided

RECAP: Philadelphia 76ers 117, Toronto Raptors 111

By Alec Liebsch

PHILADELPHIA,PA - JANUARY 15 : T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center on January 15, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - JANUARY 15 : T.J. McConnell #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center on January 15, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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To celebrate Martin Luther King Day, the Philadelphia 76ers took on a team that has been their Achilles’ heel for the past several years.

On the last day of NBA All-Star Game voting, the Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid Show was in full swing. The unicorn duo combined for the Philadelphia 76ers‘ first 20 points, including some dimes that could make fans think they’ve been playing together for years.

Raptors star guard DeMar DeRozan decided to hamper his own ASG case, however, by getting immature with T.J. McConnell:

The result? A double-technical ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

DeRozan then proceeded to air-ball his next field goal attempt. Karma is indeed a you-know-what.

Somehow, the three-pointer-heavy Raptors offense was broke, despite the defense over-rotating and permitting open threes galore. As a result of this lucky stretch, the question arose: when were they going to blow this lead?

The answer came late in the game. As Simmons got into foul trouble, the Raptors forced his hand into difficult physical matchups. The referees should’ve done a better job of letting them play through those quasi-fouls, but that’s no excuse for a team who held a lead as high as 21.

21 was key in another department, too: turnovers. A team who gives the ball away that much is seldom forgiven.

Yet somehow, here we are. It wasn’t pretty by any means, but those are the types of games a good team needs to win.

27 mins | 12 pts | 1 reb | 4 ast | 2 stl | 2 blk | 6 TO | 5-10 FG | 0-0 3PT | 2-4 FT | 5 PF | +1 +/-| <strong>Summary: </strong>As is the same problem most teams in the NBA have, the Raptors have no legitimate Simmons stopper. He took advantage of nearly every mismatch when there was space in the post, despite getting into serious foul trouble. Ben is arguably the smartest player on the court at any given time, and he knew how to get going when the going got tough today.. PG/PF. Philadelphia 76ers. BEN SIMMONS. A-

JOEL EMBIID. A+. 35 mins | 34 pts | 11 reb | 3 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 7 TO | 11-21 FG | 1-5 3PT | 11-14 FT | 4 PF | -2 +/- | <strong>Summary: </strong>Embiid knew he had to make up for his previous outing, and he did so with aplomb today. It felt like every touch JoJo generated positive returns. One of these touches was a soul-swallowing block on Fred VanFleet, which seemingly eliminated his trivial name from the Association altogether. Embiid did virtually everything he could to keep the Sixers ahead.. C. Philadelphia 76ers

A-. 28 mins | 15 pts | 5 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 5-10 FG | 2-6 3PT | 3-3 FT | 1 PF | +1 +/-| <strong>Summary: </strong>As the temperatures have cooled down, Redick is finding a way to heat up. His in-rhythm threes were crucial to keeping the offense in motion. He had to come out of the game with a leg injury late, but his presence was indeed felt.. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. J.J. REDICK

A-. 32 mins | 18 pts | 6 reb | 8 ast | 3 stl | 1 blk | 2 TO | 8-13 FG | 1-3 3PT | 1-2 FT | 0 PF | +6 +/-| <strong>Summary: </strong>McConnell did not take DeRozan’s antics lightly; the play immediately following their scuffle was a T.J. coast-to-coast that got the building rocking. Fortunately, that bucket was a small portion of McConnell’s season-high scoring affair. For a team desperate for an offensive spark, T.J. did his job and more.. PG. Philadelphia 76ers. T.J. MCCONNELL

Philadelphia 76ers. ROBERT COVINGTON. B. 35 mins | 11 pts | 8 reb | 2 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 3-10 FG | 1-5 3PT | 4-4 FT |  PF | +14 +/-| <strong>Summary: </strong>Covington’s value in this game, like many others of recent, went beyond the box score. His length was a huge problem on the defensive end for Toronto, as he constantly blocked off passing lanes. His numbers never pop off the page unless he gets a hot hand, but he’s so good at everything else that it won’t matter on most nights. He also got some streaking opportunities late in the game when the Raptors tried the infamous hack-a-Simmons.. F

Technical after technical was thrown today at various Raptors players and coaches, likely a byproduct of their frustratingly low production.

Lowry and DeRozan had respectable outings, but McConnell, Covington, and Simmons collectively held them in check. Ironically, backup guard Delon Wright‘s 20 points were a huge part of their comeback instead.

Next: Re-drafting the 2017 Lottery -- Who does Philly select?

The Sixers have a rematch with the Boston Bullies Thursday night on TNT. Be there.