Sixers: What to watch for vs. Raptors in Game 2
What to watch in Sixers-Raptors Game 2: Embiid’s points total
Joel Embiid scored 19 points on 5-of-15 shooting in Game 1. If you watched Embiid this season, you know it’s not exactly common for him to score 19 points. He’s more of a 25+ kind of guy, and the Raptors are no doubt happy on the surface with Embiid being so quiet in the scoring department.
That said, Embiid beat Toronto in other ways on Saturday. He dominated the glass, grabbing 11 defensive rebounds and four offensive rebounds, keeping the notoriously board-happy Raptors off the boards. He dominated defensively, whether it was protecting the rim, playing up on screens, or moving his feet on switches. Embiid also beat Toronto with his passing. The Raptors were aggressive in their coverage, and instead of forcing difficult shots and committing costly turnovers, Embiid simply moved the ball and let his teammates attack the rotating defense.
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Coming into the series, Embiid said he was going to take what the defense gave him. The defense didn’t give him many clean looks at the basket, but he elevated the offense all the same. Philly doesn’t roll to a 20-point victory without Embiid on the court. With some new wrinkles expect in Toronto’s game plan, however, what can we safely expect from Embiid in Game 2 and beyond?
Well, given Embiid’s track record of dominant scoring performances all year, we can safely expect more than 19 points. Embiid will get loose for bigger scoring nights in the future, even with Toronto tuned in to his every move. The Raptors don’t have the size to guard Embiid outright, and more attention being paid to Maxey or Harris should mean more room for Embiid to attack the seams of Toronto’s defense.