It might feel like deja vu, but for the second time in two days, the Toronto Raptors will be going toe-to-toe with the Philadelphia 76ers. Toronto is now 2-1 in the series, hoping to secure a 3-1 lead, and with that, a tiebreaker that could become more significant when it comes time for the postseason.
Last night’s contest was a thrilling one, with the heroics of Collin Murray-Boyles and Jamal Shead leading the way. Despite being down with seconds left, the rook made the right call to dish the ball to give us one of the most exciting plays of the season so far:
CMB finished the game with 17 points and 15 rebounds, 7 of which were offensive. He had 4 of Toronto’s 9 points in overtime as well. Shead finished with 22 points and 6 assists while continuing to play tremendous defence. For the Sixers, the backcourt of Maxey and Edgecombe led the way. Maxey had 38-4-5 while Edgecombe finished with 17-4-4 who continues to have a great start to his rookie campaign.
It’s not often in the regular season that teams get to play each other back-to-back, especially within such a short timeframe, allowing for a unique opportunity for them to make quick adjustments.
Philly will likely try to force the Raptors outside of the paint. Cutting off passing lanes, especially on the inside will be a priority as they were some of the most crucial plays for Toronto. They finished with 68 paint points, around 15 more than they do on average.
Packing the paint and trying to force the Raptors to shoot will be a necessary strategy, where they were only 16% beyond the arc last night. Toronto has been struggling all season with consistency from long range and although they overcame a bad night like that last night, to do it twice in a row against the same team is almost impossible.
Toronto also feasted on transition points, scoring 17 on fast breaks, fueled by the steals and blocks of IQ and Alijah Martin.
The simplest answer for the Raptors is to keep doing what worked and adjust to what Philly gives them. Shooters like Jamison Battle (who went 0-2) and Gradey Dick (0-1) need to be ready. If Toronto sees a zone defence at all, they need to be confident and knock down their shots, keeping the paint open for drivers and cutters to keep scoring inside.
They also need to clean up their turnovers, where Philly was able to score 23 points. Getting back in transition and preventing easy baskets will be crucial, especially if tonight turns out to be another close game.
Depending on who suits up for this matchup, the outcome could be very different. RJ, BI, and Ja’Kobe who can all shoot from distance were missed, but it’s still unclear what the severity of their injuries are or if they’ll be back tonight. Similarly, if Embiid is able to check in, his size alone could make things very challenging for Toronto to score inside.
Neither team has formally submitted their report yet, due to the quick turnover between games, but we can expect at least the following players to be on our radar as they sat out (or left) Sunday’s game.
Toronto - RJ Barrett ( ankle), Brandon Ingram (thumb), Jakob Poeltl (back), Ja’Kobe Walter (hip).
Philadelphia - Joel Embiid (knee/groin), Paul George (knee)
Probable Starters
Toronto - Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, Immanuel Quickley, Ja’Kobe Walter
Philadelphia - Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre Jr., VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, Dominick Barlow
Where to Watch
Tune in on Sportsnet at 7:30pm.