GRADES: Philadelphia 76ers 112, Toronto Raptors 101
The Philadelphia 76ers will travel back north for Game 7.
After getting blown out in Game 5, the Philadelphia 76ers returned home with renewed purpose and heightened intensity. The raucous crowd helped, as the Sixers ended up (for the most part) controlling all four quarters en route to a 3-3 series tie.
It wasn’t smooth — the Raptors made several runs, including two 10-0 spurts in the first half. But the Sixers stayed the course and played with the right mentality, aggressively attacking on offense and making a concerted, in-sync defensive effort.
The Raptors struggled with many of the same issues that ailed them through the first three games. Outside Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam, the production ran dry. Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Danny Green were all quiet.
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The Sixers, however, received production across the board. Ben Simmons had his best performance since the Brooklyn series, while Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid were sublime in different moments. Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick both contributed as well.
With Toronto missing some key open shots, the Sixers were to survive first-half runs before taking a more emphatic stand in the third, with the lead ballooning from 15 at halftime to 20 after three. Embiid was a big reason for that, bucking his early funk and notching 10 points in the third frame. He also blocked Kawhi twice in those 12 minutes.
Despite his unspectacular stat line, Embiid was arguably the Sixers’ most important piece all night. The offense fell apart in his absence, while Brett Brown’s willingness to lean on Boban Marjanovic left the pick-and-roll defense in shambles.
Embiid finished the game at +40 in 35 minutes. That’s an insane number, especially since 17 points on 5-14 shooting doesn’t scream ‘greatness’. He did the little things and played with the freedom and spirit that was lacking in Games 4 and 5.
Butler was once again excellent, scoring 25 points and ending the first half on an absolute tear, featuring a steal and transition bucket with a couple seconds left to extend the lead to 15. His late flurry was big-time after a brief Toronto run.
A. <strong>33 mins | 21 pts | 8 reb | 6 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO | 9-13 FG | 0-0 3PT| 3-6 FT | 5 PF | +4 |</strong><p>Simmons was Brett Brown’s bell-ringer in what was by far his best game of the series. The 6-foot-10 point guard went on the attack early, scoring eight points in the first quarter, working in transition, getting downhill and putting considerable pressure on the Toronto defense. He also avoided the turnover column.</p>. PG. Philadelphia 76ers. BEN SIMMONS
A. <strong>35 mins | 17 pts | 12 reb | 1 ast | 1 stl | 2 blk | 5 TO | 5-14 FG | 2-3 3PT| 5-7 FT | 4 PF | +40 |</strong><p>Embiid scored an inefficient 17 points, tallied just one assist and turned the ball over five times. He ended up a +40 on the night. I elect not to nitpick too hard when it comes to the grade here. The Sixers still depend heavily on Embiid’s presence, especially on defense — which showed tonight in Boban’s brief first-half stint. His 10-point third quarter helped the Sixers establish firm control before the final frame.</p>. C. Philadelphia 76ers. JOEL EMBIID
SF. Philadelphia 76ers. JIMMY BUTLER. A. <strong>34 mins | 25 pts | 6 reb | 8 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 9-18 FG | 0-1 3PT| 7-7 FT | 0 PF | +15 |</strong><p>James Butler was the adult in the room once again, putting in another strong offensive performance. He led the team in scoring and assists, all while making countless hustle plays and turning in arguably his best defensive performance of the series.</p>
BOBAN MARJANOVIC. F. <strong>6 mins | 2 pts | 0 reb | 0 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 0-0 FG | 0-0 3PT| 2-2 FT | 1 PF | -18 |</strong><p>The Sixers were a -18 in the six minutes Boban graced the court. He’s a fan favorite and, in certain matchups, can thrive (see: Nets, Brooklyn). The Raptors aren’t one of those matchups, though. Brown decided to pivot from <a rel=. C. Philadelphia 76ers
A. <strong>20 mins | 11 pts | 4 reb | 2 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 4-5 FG | 3-4 3PT| 0-0 FT | 0 PF | +29 |</strong><p>After struggling pre-injury in the Brooklyn series, it took <a rel=. PF. Philadelphia 76ers. MIKE SCOTT
The Sixers will now head back to The Six with a daunting task a hand. The Raptors’ crowd, while not on Philadelphia’s level, is still loud. The atmosphere in Game 7 will give the Raptors a serious advantage, not to the mention the experience harbored in Kawhi Leonard alone.
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Most of our pre-series predictions featured a Game 7. The results were essentially split at that point. If the Sixers get contributions from each star and Mike Scott continues his upswing, Philadelphia has a chance. A very real chance. The Raptors won’t go down softly, though.