Fan Duel Toronto Raptors

Quick Reaction: Raptors 119, Sixers 107

The Raptors rang some bells in Philly.

Check the post-game podcast from Yahoo Sports and RR. Follow @YahooCASports on Twitter for more excellent coverage.

Toronto119Final
Box Score
107Philadelphia

A
P. Siakam30 MIN, 16 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 7-15 FG, 2-6 3FG, 0-3 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 8 +/-

Energy for days. Siakam was a problem for the Sixers for most of the game with how slippery he can get in the paint and it showed by the 4th when Philly started doubling up on their defence.

A
K. Leonard35 MIN, 24 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 3-11 FG, 2-7 3FG, 16-17 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 2 +/-

Good news: We had a rare Lowry-Leonard high-five and those are the kinds of Vegas odds I will bet on. It was a quiet shooting night for Leonard, Butler and the Sixers were making him work for his looks. The calls were tough in this game for Toronto and Kawhi made the most of driving runs that got him to the line, which is what eventually edged the team into the secure win.

A+
S. Ibaka27 MIN, 20 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 10-15 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 24 +/-

Hard work from Ibaka tonight when it came to putting off Embiid and Butler, especially without JV for relief. But it wasn’t just his physicality, he was showing up for rebounds in all the right places and his shots were tuned-in. Got in some foul trouble which would be difficult not to trying to slow down Embiid. Unfortunately sat for most of the 2nd half which is too bad given how hot a game he was having, but got to come back in when it counted to really hammer this win home.

A+
K. Lowry35 MIN, 20 PTS, 1 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 7-16 FG, 5-9 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 13 +/-

Looked good early on and a heartening signs of things to come. He was pacey and confident early, missing shots and coming right back to make sure they fell. This was the homecoming game you wanted him to have and the kind of game where Lowry being on makes all the difference. His energy, doggedness and drive had Toronto far outpacing the Sixers early on, hardly flagging toward even in a tiring 4th.

A-
D. Green21 MIN, 2 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 6 +/-

With a lot more effective shooting from the whole squad Green’s game seemed quiet by comparison. It wasn’t a bad thing, if anything it gave Green a chance to lend as a distributor and space the floor out, not to mention a break from being the lone reliable shooter.

A-
F. VanVleet25 MIN, 3 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1-4 FG, 1-2 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 10 +/-

Freddieeeeeeeee! His first field goal of the night came late but it was worth the wait. VanVleet was a solid relief for Lowry and brought a similar level of energy to the bench’s minutes. He was also a reliable safety net hanging around to catch the ball and bring it back for all the times the Sixers batted it out of the paint.

B+
D. Wright18 MIN, 8 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1-7 FG, 0-2 3FG, 6-6 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 +/-

Huge rebounds from this guy tonight and even bigger, near-impossible passes. He had a big slapper of a denial from Embiid I’m not sure he really came back from.

A
G. Monroe18 MIN, 10 PTS, 7 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 5-8 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -14 +/-

Sweet, strong Greg. Incredibly fast Greg. Moose had a contact lens loose mid-game, after a powerful layup, and then the refs had the gall to call an offensive foul on a guy who very probably couldn’t see? With Ibaka sitting out in foul trouble, Monroe got the chance to muscle up. More than that, there was real confidence from Monroe and everything he added, from pivotal rebounds to bonus shots, felt intentional.

A-
N. Powell16 MIN, 14 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 5-6 FG, 1-2 3FG, 3-4 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 4 +/-

Powell played crafty tonight at his best, a little off the mark at his worst. He showed up in a big way at the tail end of the third, with a few nice back and fourth sequences with Leonard and decisive shooting.

B
O. Anunoby14 MIN, 2 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 1-5 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 7 +/-

He showed up with confidence and kind of faded out, mostly due to being on the outside in a lot of the bigger sequences. There were a few missed opportunities for rebounds he looked on track to swipe but he mostly stayed outside the action. Defensively, he was able to put pressure on Embiid

A
Nick Nurse

Though he left Ibaka in to accumulate 4 fouls, the calls came quick and it’s not entirely on him. Giving Ibaka the game back late in the 4th was huge, and brought a needed push in getting things going back in Toronto’s direction.

Things We Saw

  1. Sharp: It looks like the Raptors have been, hm, what’s that exercise—practicing. Passing was precise, plays looked premeditated, communication was clear, and everybody was tuned in. It was the kind of edge that’s been lacking in the last few laborious games and seeing them snap back into this was a relief, not to mention shows recalibration.
  2. Shooting: Not only were they taking those same good shots we’ve been hearing about for weeks, but they were making them, too. After the last few games with sluggish start, ending the first quarter with 40 points admittedly felt like I was seeing a typo. Though it never felt trepidatious, it was still a relief to have them carry through with that energy to close out the first half in their best defensive showing of the season. Philly crept close in the 3rd and the 4th felt tense, if only because the shot frequency slowed by a fraction. But Toronto adjusted, going for quality over quantity, and it counted.
  3. Speed: Everyone had their endorsed pedals to the metal tonight and the Sixers started to look like they had tire tracks on ‘em pretty early. Pace carried Toronto through to the half but had them in foul trouble early on in the 3rd quarter. Things needed to slow down without breaking up the game’s earlier momentum and stay pressed even as the Sixers started to pick it up and push back. Offensive rebounds were almost reflexive and the defence stayed the pace. It was important and needed now to see Toronto go all four quarters with this kind of staying power.