The Sixer Sense
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RECAP: Philadelphia 76ers 117, Toronto Raptors 111

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)

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.

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.