The Philadelphia 76ers converted only eight three-pointers in their one-point loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. It took just 14 minutes for Philadelphia to surpass that amount in its rematch against Toronto just one day later and the Raptors couldn’t recover.
The 76ers (22-16) handled the Raptors (24-17) 115-102 at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night in a game that featured an offensive reawakening. Philadelphia enjoyed four players scoring at least 15 points and shot 44.4% from three-point range after finishing below 26% in its last two games. While both teams suffered back-to-back fatigue, the 76ers got right against the Raptors, who rank top-six league-wide in defensive rating.
Philadelphia’s offense got back on track almost instantly, making 14 of its first 17 field-goal attempts and the cause was obvious: Joel Embiid and Paul George. They missed yesterday’s contest due to injuries, but returned with fresh legs. The 76ers’ ball movement was sharp, with Embiid scoring within the flow of the offense and George being aggressive off the dribble.
Embiid had 27 points on 9-17 shooting from the field, eight rebounds and two steals, marking the seventh time in his last nine outings where he eclipsed 25 points. While the 2022-23 Most Valuable Player is no longer the offensive force he once was, he has begun building a compelling case for his 10th All-Star nod.
George scored eight of his 15 points in the first quarter and finished with six assists and four rebounds to go along with it. He and Embiid’s presence reinvigorated the creativity and motion that the 76ers lacked last night. Philadelphia totaled just 11 assists yesterday and its poor spacing didn’t do it any favors. Tonight was a different story as it tallied 22 and no one had more to show for it than Tyrese Maxey.
Once again, he led all scorers with 33 points on 86.5% true-shooting in a potent display of off-the-dribble scoring. Maxey’s 18 first-period points spearheaded Philadelphia’s offensive avalanche and he did so by smoking Toronto to the rim, with 7-7 free-throw accuracy to show for it, and gunning threes working the two-man actions with Embiid. Having George and Embiid in the starting lineup rather than Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond gave the guard more room to operate.
But, Maxey didn’t do it all by himself as George and VJ Edgecombe headlined a pivotal 20-6 run in the second quarter. The forward assisted on two of the 76ers’ six triples in the frame while Edgecombe had nine of his 15 points in the same span. George’s ball-handling continues to provide stability to a second unit that has desired a floor general and Edgecombe’s scoring punch was the cherry on top.
Philadelphia created many of these scoring opportunities by upping its point-of-attack defense–another aspect it struggled with on Sunday. Toronto feasted off the dribble last night, scoring 68 points down low, as it put the 76ers into rotation. Tonight, however, Philadelphia limited the paint damage to 22 points in the first half. Meanwhile, it turned in 80 points through two quarters and positioned itself to victory.
Fatigue and shooting variance settled in for the 76ers in the final 24 minutes, nevertheless. The Raptors finished with 54 points in the restricted area and outscored Philadelphia in the third and fourth quarters. Toronto established a rhythm in transition as the 76ers’ offense lulled, but they mustered just enough composure to get even and deploy Kyle Lowry in one of the most heart-warming moments of the season.
The 76ers will return home to face the Cleveland Cavaliers (22-19) on January 14th at 7 p.m. as their potential postseason preview continues.