The Philadelphia 76ers faced the Toronto Raptors Sunday night as they finished up this final stretch of the season. Coming off a loss against the Miami Heat the night before, the Sixers were only more shorthanded, with Quentin Grimes taking the night off.
Philadelphia ultimately lost a game in which they were clearly outmatched, despite Toronto’s attempts to rest their own players. At this point in the year, having been eliminated from the postseason, the Sixers’ goal has drastically changed from where it began. Still, even if the top priority is no longer maintaining a playoff spot, there are still positives to take away from these games.
What went right
Obviously, very little, but the performance seen by Lonnie Walker was certainly encouraging, considering his potential place on the team next season. While it’s easy for a player on a bad team to inflate their numbers, particularly their scoring numbers, Walker not only scored tonight (23 points) but did so efficiently, making 10 of his 18 shots from the floor.
Walker is one of several Sixers with a potential path to return, thanks to a team option on his current deal with Philadelphia. Should the team decide to keep him around, Walker will have to earn his minutes next season, but Walker is a capable player despite how long it has been since he’s had a consistent role.
If Walker can string together a few more of these games together, it would be hard to see Walker playing elsewhere next season.
What went wrong
Sixers rookie Justin Edwards had an off night, but he still scored 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Edwards was riding a hot streak but fell into the inevitable off-night. It’s not a long-term concern, but it is unfortunate for Edwards, who has been one of the NBA’s top rookies since the All-Star break.
Edwards will likely rebound nicely after this game. Edwards is not one to shrink in the moment — he’s faced the likes of LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and more without blinking — but there are going to be off nights, especially during a rookie campaign.
Sixers standings update
The Sixers and Raptors obviously faced off in this matchup. Toronto’s victory gave the Raptors a massive four-game lead, which will be truly difficult to blow so late in the season. This loss has also given the Sixers a bit of extra breathing room against the Brooklyn Nets.
The story of the night outside of Philadelphia, though, was another win secured by the New Orleans Pelicans, which helped the Sixers climb even closer to fourth place in the reverse standings. It’s still unlikely that the Sixers will catch up to the Pelucans, but the latter still has a game against the Brooklyn Nets that is guaranteed to benefit the Sixers’ draft position in one form or another.
Up next for the Sixers
The Sixers will next travel up to New York to face the Knicks. New York is on a two-game winning streak following a win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite the continued absence of Jalen Bruson, they are set up particularly well for this upcoming matchup against Philadelphia.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, and you can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia or listen live at 97.5 FM, the Fanatic.
