I’m glad I was there to witness the first episode of The Mo-Show.
The Raptors were missing four rotation players last night versus the Philadelphia 76ers (without Paul George and Joel Embiid) and had to go deeper in their bench than they would have wanted.
Good news: it was fruitful. Raptors rookie Jonathan Mogbo dominated the second quarter, blocking shots, causing havoc on defense, finishing inside, making passes, and finding his teammates to completely change the game’s complexion. Mogbo finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, three blocks, and a team-high +21 on the night. It was a breakout performance for the rookie, who got to share his post-game interview with his best friend, Scottie Barnes.
The game itself was muddy. The Raptors and Sixers broke a franchise record by attempting 99 free-throw in a match that took nearly three hours to complete. It was excruciating, but the Raptors made it well worth it for their first win.
Barnes bounced back after a poor performance against the Cavaliers on opening night, putting up 27 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three stocks on an efficient 8-of-11 from the field — asserting himself offensively early, hunting out mismatches and, quite frankly, looking like the All-star Barnes we’ve come to expect.
Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle also propelled the Raptors, chipping in for a combined 23 points. Meanwhile, Battle got a standing ovation after fouling out after 15 minutes. Jakob Poeltl added 19 points and nine rebounds, meanwhile Ochai Agbaji finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, most of which were in transition.
The Raptors now head to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on the second night of a back-to-back.
If you’d like to watch a more analytical breakdown of the Raptors win versus the Sixers, check out the video above and subscribe to the Raptors Republic Youtube channel for more videos like it.
