Sixers: 3 takeaways from dominant Game 1 win over Raptors

The Sixers‘ lackluster finish to the regular season left many fans wondering if the Raptors might upset them in the first round of the playoffs. After Saturday’s game one, which Philadelphia won in dazzling fashion, a great many concerns have been quelled.

It’s far too early for a Sixers victory lap — they have to win three more games, and there’s very little chance Philadelphia plays that well again — but the signs from game one were overwhelmingly positive. The Sixers won in just about every facet of the game, and managed a 20-point victory despite Joel Embiid only scoring 19 points.

Here’s what we learned.

Sixers-Raptors game one takeaways: Stellar execution

Much has been said about Doc Rivers and his limitations as a head coach. Entering this series, many pointed to Nick Nurse and the Raptors’ coaching advantage as a potential pitfall for the favored Sixers. Again, it has only been one game, and Nurse will certainly make adjustments moving forward, but Doc deserves a lot of credit for the Sixers’ preparedness in Saturday night’s win.

The Sixers out-executed the Raptors on every front. They committed only three turnovers against a team that lives in transition. They dominated the boards against a team committed to crashing the glass. They looked connected on defense, which had seldom been the case since James Harden‘s arrival in February. Joel Embiid deserves a lot of credit for that.

Doc Rivers and the Sixers entered the match with a clear game plan, and they executed that game plan to perfection. Philadelphia was historically efficient and the Raptors never really found meaningful momentum. The Sixers didn’t blow the lead, they didn’t get lackadaisical, and they were thoroughly unbothered by Toronto’s physicality.

The Raptors’ path to winning this series is turning defense into offense and controlling the glass. The Sixers have struggled in both those areas all season. To come into game one and look so comfortable in what many billed as an unfavorable matchup is a testament to the work the team put in over the last week or so in practice.