By Sean Kennedy
Toronto 125, Philadelphia 114
If you were weary of bogged-down defensive battles and poor shooting from watching too much college basketball over the past month, Wednesday night’s Sixers-Raptors game was the perfect antidote for you. Both teams appeared to consider defense optional for the evening as both Philadelphia and Toronto shot 50% or better from the field on the game. Unfortunately for the Sixers, the Raptors also wore out a path to the free throw line, hitting 31 of their 37 attempts from the charity stripe, while Philadelphia only attempted 21 foul shots. That discrepancy proved to be the difference in what was otherwise an even battle between the two Atlantic-division foes, and Toronto will gladly take the 4-game season sweep over the Sixers to maintain the 3rd overall seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers stayed within striking distance throughout most of the game, as a surge led by Henry Sims in the third quarter cut the Toronto lead to just 1 point. Sims had another solid performance with 22 points and 8 rebounds as he continues to solidify himself as a legitimate scoring threat in addition to being a stout defender on the other end of the court. Unfortunately, Sims and Jarvis Varnado had no answer for Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas. The Raptors big man didn’t look the least bit drunk out on the court, dunking over everybody on his way to a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. On a night the Sixers actually did a nice job holding all-star DeMar DeRozan to just 17 points, after he had averaged over 31 ppg in the prior three meetings, Valanciunas really picked up the slack on the offensive end for Toronto.
The point guard battle was also one to watch Wednesday night as Michael Carter-Williams and Kyle Lowry traded blows throughout the game. MCW continued his rejuvenated play, nearly tallying a triple-double with 19 points on 7-12 shooting, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. He’s done such a better job lately of playing within himself, cutting down on the careless turnovers and taking better shots around the rim. The quickness of Lowry did give him some trouble on the defensive end though, as the former Villanova guard recorded a game-high 29 points and 8 assists. Time and time again, the Raptors were able to run a side pick-and-roll to free Lowry for a drive to the lane, and he would finish with high-arcing scoop shots over the outstretched arm of a rotating Sixers help defender. Lowry scored 8 straight points late in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice for the Raptors. Despite the loss, it was another a second-straight spirited effort from the young Sixers squad, and they’ll look to give another 46-win team their best shot when they travel to Memphis Friday night.
Notable Observations:
- I am not a fan of the digital signs under the basket that the television broadcast superimposes on the screen. I find them very distracting during gameplay and it looks weird when a player is standing through them while in-bounding the ball under the basket. I would understand from a business standpoint if they were using them to advertise but what is the point of having them just say ‘Raptors’? What are your guys thoughts on them?
- Following up on the emergence of Hollis Thompson, the broadcast showed that he has the best 3PT% in the entire NBA since March 17th at over 62%. I’m certain the Sixers will try to hang onto him, but if they don’t, Thompson is going to have his share of suitors heading into next season the way he’s capable of shooting the rock.
- In the fourth quarter, Brett Brown called timeout just so that the officials would review a DeMar DeRozan three-pointer where his foot was clearly on the line. It reminded me of the new rule in baseball as it was Brown’s version of walking out from the dugout for the challenge; savvy move by the Sixers coach.
Tanking Implications:
The last chance at a miraculous late-season Milwaukee push fell short, as the Bucks lost by 2 at home to Indiana, despite the Pacers sitting all 5 starters for the game. The silver lining for the Sixers is that Wednesday night’s loss clinched the second-worst overall record as Orlando pulled off the upset against Brooklyn. So take the ankle weights off and go out there and win the final four games, Sixers! 4/5 tanks
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