Last night was sorely a missed opportunity for the Sixers.
The Philadelphia 76ers failed to avenge themselves in their first visit to the Scotiabank arena since being knocked out of the playoffs last season. The banged-up, shorthanded Raptors team conquered the Sixers, 101-96.
Top Performers
Josh Richardson: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
Tobias Harris: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Pascal Siakam: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Siakam takes over while Embiid falls flat
In a game where the Raptors were missing starters Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, the Sixers could not take advantage. Pascal Siakam controlled the floor all game, leading him to 25 point performance.
Joel Embiid played the worst game of his basketball career by far. For the first time in both the pros and in college, Embiid did not record a single point in the game, shooting 0-11 from the floor. The Raptors double-teamed him all night long, forcing him to pass out. Along with this, Embiid was guarded by an all-defensive center in Marc Gasol, which added trouble to the mix.
Embiid did not play a bad game at all, as he still recorded 13 rebounds. His shot selection was not bad either, just nothing looked to drop. However, for being the team’s star, these types of games simply can not happen. Fatigue may have played a factor, as the big man played three games in four nights. Brett Brown addressed this by simply saying, “I don’t know.”
Other takeaways
- Coach Brett Brown decided to get Raul Neto back into the mix and did not give Trey Burke any playing time. After the game, Brown acknowledged this and, in a paraphrased sense, simply said he does not want his players to sit.
- Ben Simmons almost had his second triple-double of the season, posting 10 points, nine rebounds, and 14 assists.
- Despite the loss, the Sixers played a very well-rounded team game. Every starter not named Joel Embiid recorded double-digit points. Mike Scott added 12 points off the bench as well, going 3-5 from deep.
- Sixers fall to 4-6 on the road. The team looked flat from the start, and clawed their way back. The game had an intense, playoff feel the entire time, despite Lowry and Ibaka being sidelined.
The Sixers will look to get back on track as they host the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
