Raptors keep coming up short in loss to 76ers
The game began perfectly for the Raptors. They hit their early shots — Quickley sank three fast triples — and Scottie Barnes competed strongly against Joel Embiid. With Jakob Poeltl sidelined, Ochai Agbaji filled his spot in the starting lineup.
The 76ers, dressed in their Iverson-era black uniforms with a matching court, managed to keep up and even outscore Toronto 17-15 in the initial stretch. Trendon Watford energized Philadelphia’s start, scoring seven points and grabbing two offensive rebounds, capitalizing on defensive gaps left by the Raptors.
Philadelphia executed well in feeding Tyrese Maxey, the league’s top scorer, to sustain their rhythm on offense. Still, the Raptors regained momentum with two threes from Shead and another from Barrett, pulling them ahead. Subbing in Sandro Mamukelashvili gave Maxey a bigger defender to go at, yet it also improved the Raptors’ ball movement. Ten of their first eleven baskets were assisted.
Collin Murray-Boyles was the first reserve to check in and made an immediate impact. His defensive energy was evident as he picked off Kelly Oubre Jr. in transition, applied ball pressure, rolled effectively to the rim, and kept the offense moving fluidly. The new starting lineup brought expected shifts across the rotation, and the bench responded with solid minutes early on.
"Ten of their first eleven baskets were assisted," a stat that highlighted Toronto’s smart ball movement despite the loss.
Author’s Summary
The Raptors started strong but the 76ers’ balanced offense and consistent pace ultimately edged them out, despite Toronto’s impressive early teamwork and ball movement.