In the first of a two-game road trip, the Sixers suffered a second-straight loss to kick off the season.
The Philadelphia 76ers came into Friday night’s matchup with the Toronto Raptors looking to get their first win of the season. Joel Embiid and Paul George were sidelined in their season opener against the Bucks, which resulted in the Sixers getting blown out at home. Tyrese Maxey struggled offensively despite scoring 25 points, and it certainly didn’t help the team’s offensive rhythm.
The Toronto Raptors also started off the season with a blowout loss, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers by 30 points. Not only did they lose the game, but they also lost one of their young guards to injury, with Immanuel Quickley going down after a hard fall. With RJ Barrett out with injury as well, the rebuilding Raptors looked to try to steal one from the Sixers.
Sixers/Raptors recap
The first quarter saw the Sixers struggle to maintain an offensive rhythm outside of all-star guard Tyrese Maxey, who helped keep the team afloat, scoring 13 first-quarter points and four assists, and Kelly Oubre Jr, who had 7 points at the end of one. The Raptors were physical, and their play led to Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele both getting two fouls a piece, forcing rookie Adem Bona to steal a couple of minutes for the Sixers.
The second quarter was much of the same for both teams. The Sixers continued to gain a consistent rhythm on offense, struggling to score with Tyrese Maxey on the bench. Even with Maxey on the court, the decision-making, shot selection, and turnover helped the Raptors build a lead. Toronto patrolled, blocking nine shots in the first half, with Jakob Poeltl having 4 of those. Poeltl and Scottie Barnes helped combined for 25 first half point as the Raptors took a six-point lead into halftime.
The Sixers continued to struggle against the undermanned and rebuilding Raptors in the second half. Offensive rebounds and turnovers kept the Sixers in the hole, while the Toronto sold out to stop Maxey. Taking him out of the offense made it brutal to watch, outside of some positive plays here or there.
The fourth quarter was much of the same, with the Sixers just never able to get the lead down to less than five or six points. Kelly Oubre Jr and Caleb Martin tried their best to bring the Sixers back, but they could not overcome the mistakes or rebounding issues. The Sixers ended up falling to 0-2 after a 115-107 loss to the Raptors, who were led by Scottie Barnes (27 points) and Jakob Poeltl (19 points and nine rebounds).
The number one option
While Embiid was out last season, Maxey had to grow into a number-one option for the Sixers. He spoke about how his experience last season helped prepare him for whatever he would see from teams defensively in the future. Well, with both his star counterparts out to start the season, the teams are playing him very similarly to the stretch in the second half of last season. The Raptors decided they would double on the pick-and-roll and have another defender waiting at the rim.
He was able to take advantage of some of the lapses in defense for a couple of three-pointers and tried to utilize the mid-range a little more in the first quarter, but the Raptors sold out to remove him from the offense and make someone else beat them. He struggled for the remainder of the game, and the team’s confidence dwindled with every missed shot. He ended the night scoring 24 points but shooting 6-23 from the field and 2-12 from three-point range.
The Sixers and Maxey have to show the ability to be creative when he is the main ballhandler and hub of the offense. Two games in a row, they look like the same team that struggles to score when he can’t get it going, or he’s taken out of the game. It’s early in the season, but with the expectation of his co-stars sitting more this season, they will need better performances from him.
Center stage
Andre Drummond was signed this offseason to be an integral part of this team when Embiid missed time or when he wasn’t on the court. He has the ability to make an impact on both sides of the court, but he has to be on the court for that to happen.
After suffering through foul trouble in their contest against the Bucks, Drummond dealt with even more foul issues in Toronto. Since Drummond struggled to stay on the court, it impacted the Sixers’ ability to rebound, allowing them to get outrebounded 54-28. They need him on the court if this team is going to survive non-Embiid minutes, let alone games he misses.
Struggling to gel
With so many new faces on the Sixers and the team missing two of their stars, they have not been able to gel as much as they would like. Their unfamiliarity with each other shows throughout the game, but it is something that will get better with time. It’s obvious the team isn’t whole, but they are talented enough to beat a Raptors squad that played Scottie Barnes and a bunch of rookies or G-League players.
The Sixers will head to Indiana to take on the Pacers for a Sunday afternoon matinee starting at 3:30 PM on NBC Sports Philadelphia and 97.5 The Fanatic.
