Game Day: 76ers vs. Raptors, Nov. 25

One…two…three…four…swish.

That was the sequence of the basketball hitting the rim before landing in. Giving the Toronto Raptors the playoff series victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, and Kawhi Leonard the first Game 7 buzzer beater in NBA Playoffs history.

Now known as “The Shot,” it will forever be immortalized in Toronto sports history. Not just because of the heroic effort of Leonard’s corner two. Or the dramatics of the ball bouncing on the rim towards glory.

Leonard’s series-clinching shot represented an exorcism of the Raptors playoff demons against the Sixers. In 2001, the Allen Iverson-led Sixers defeated the Raptors in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. For 18 years, Vince Carter’s missed three-point shot at the buzzer was a moment of infamy for the Raptors franchise.

Kawhi Leonard’s shot against those same Sixers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals would quell those bad postseason memories. An unforgettable moment that would predicate the Raptors’ first NBA Championship in franchise history.

“From where I was, it looked like it was going in,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse after Game 7 last May. “By beating a really good team with a lot of size and talent, it would allow us to grow through advancing to the next series.”

On Monday night, the Raptors and Sixers square off for the first time since that Game 7. Their first meeting this season provides an opportunity to renew a divisional rivalry, while putting on display two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Changes have occurred on both teams since their playoff series last season. After winning the championship, Leonard and Danny Green would depart the Raptors to join the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers respectively. Jimmy Butler of the Philadelphia 76ers would sign with the Miami Heat, while bringing in Josh Richardson and unrestricted free agent Al Horford. Shooting guard J.J. Redick would also leave the Sixers to play for the New Orleans Pelicans.

While both teams look different, their similarities from last season are apparent. The critical roster pieces have contributed to the Raptors and Sixers each having 11 wins to start the regular season.

The Raptors’ championship identity has continued into this season, despite the departures of Leonard and Green. Even with current injuries to Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Patrick McCaw, the Raptors have played an energetic, exciting brand of basketball. One that features ball movement, tough defense and contributions from numerous players.

Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet have been shouldering the load of the minutes played on the Raptors, averaging 37 and 38 minutes per game respectively. They have continued to make strides in their offensive games, contributing to a Raptors offense that ranks 7th in the NBA in points per game (113.7).

Coming into Monday’s contest against Philadelphia, Siakam is averaging a team high 25.7 points per game on 57.2 percent true shooting. With Lowry injured, VanVleet has adapted to the role of chief facilitator, averaging 18.1 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, 7.7 assists per game on 53.7 percent true shooting.

The Raptors defense has continued to limit their opponent’s ability to score. The team ranks 9th in the NBA in defensive efficiency (103.2) and is 3rd in defensive rebounds (37.7). Having Siakam (102.0 defensive rating), Marc Gasol (101.2 defensive rating) and a resurgent OG Anunoby (101.9 defensive rating) be physical in the post and on the glass has fuelled the Raptors defensive production. It is evident that the Raptor players are unafraid to lock down the offensive weapon of an opposing team. When facing the Clippers, Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers earlier this season, the Raptors limited Kawhi, LeBron James and Damian Lillard to 18 percent, 33 percent and 17 percent shooting from the field respectively.

The Raptors’ elite defense will be met by another physical defensive team in the Sixers. Ranked eighth in the NBA in defensive efficiency (101.3) and points allowed (105.9), the Sixers rely on their size and length in the post. Evidenced in their victory against Butler and the Heat last Saturday, the Sixers gave up their fewest points of the season (86), holding Miami to 40 percent shooting and 25 percent from beyond the arc. Harris, Horford and Joel Embiid combined for 25 of the team’s 44 rebounds, demonstrating their ferocity and physicality on the glass.

“Defensively, [the Sixers] understand this city,” Sixers head coach Scott Brown said. “Whatever we do, it has to be blue collar and it’s got to be defense. The other stuff will happen from that base.”

But unlike the Raptors, the Sixers have been inconsistent offensively throughout the season. Ranked 16th in the NBA in points per game (110.3), the absence of Jimmy Butler has created a void in consistent scoring. Embiid has put up solid offensive numbers, averaging 22.8 points per game. But Ben Simmons still continues to show lapses in shooting ability (averaging 13.1 points per game) and Harris is 4-for-20 from three in his last four games. A concerning trend that does not bode well against the Raptors, who possess an expected field goal percentage of 54.8 and is shooting 39.8 percent from three.

A surprise for the Raptors, given their injuries, has been the surging production of their best players. Despite Norman Powell, Chris Boucher, Terence Davis and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all having usage rates below 20 percent, their true shooting percentages are all above 35 percent. In their 132-96 rout of the Charlotte Hornets, Davis, Boucher and Hollis-Jefferson combined for 42 points, playing a total of 59 minutes. It demonstrates that the same energy and offensive production applies to the Raptors bench, who have outscored opponents by 22.5 points per 100 possessions when Boucher and Hollis-Jefferson are on the floor.

“It’s fun to play when everyone is running around and they don’t know what they are doing, forgetting plays, but they are just playing hard — hard as they can, and that’s all you ask,” said Fred VanVleet.

Once the conversation moves away from the playoffs last season to the basketball game, it will be a hard-fought, passionate game. The Sixers are coming in looking for revenge, while the Raptors are eager to win their third straight game. This season has shown the Raptors win in a variety of ways. Whether it is a complete team effort like against the Lakers and Trail Blazers or winning “ugly” as demonstrated in their 119-116 slugfest last Saturday versus the Atlanta Hawks, the Raptors continue to showcase their championship mettle.

While the heroics of a Game 7 will be absent, the emotions will still be high Monday night at ScotiaBank Arena. And the Raptors may just have the size and the shooting ability to counter the aggressive defense of the Sixers to win this hard-fought contest.

GAME INFO:

Date: November 25, 2019

Tipoff: 7:30pm EST/4:30pm PST

Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario

TV/Radio: Sportsnet/Sportsnet 590 The Fan

RAPTORS UPDATES

Kyle Lowry (hand) is out, Serge Ibaka (ankle) is out, Patrick McCaw (knee) is out, Stanley Johnson (groin) is out.

PG: Fred VanVleet, Terence Davis

SG: Norman Powell, Matt Thomas

SF: OG Anunoby, Malcolm Miller

PF: Pascal Siakam, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

C: Marc Gasol, Chris Boucher