PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers are continuing to get themselves together as they prepare for the playoffs and a matchup with the Toronto Raptors is what the doctor ordered in that respect. The Raptors are the type of team the Sixers will see in the postseason with their size, length, and athletic ability.
Philadelphia had a near-perfect first half as they shot a scorching 76.9% from the floor in order to build a 77-57 halftime lead. However, the Raptors worked their way back into it and cut the lead down to seven rather quickly and then the lead was only two in the fourth. Eventually, the Sixers were able to pull away for a 117-110 victory in large part due to James Harden and Joel Embiid.
Harden had 23 points and 11 assists while Embiid added 25 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey added 13 points and six assists, De’Anthony Melton added 13 points, and PJ Tucker had nine and five rebounds. Paul Reed added 11 points and six rebounds and Danuel House Jr. added eight off the bench.
Here are the player grades after the win:
James Harden: A
He wasn’t getting past anybody on the offensive end, but when Harden had his opportunities, he took advantage of them. He and Embiid were nearly unstoppable on the offensive end with the pick-and-roll game and he was able to finish over taller defenders. It was good for him to see the 3-point shot return as well. He has been so efficient with that shot all year long and it has been a big part of his arsenal. Considering the Achilles injury, he is going to have to keep this efficiency from deep. The first half was the best he’s looked in quite some time. He struggled in the third quarter which then had a ripple effect through the rest of the team as Toronto worked back into it. Overall, though, he was very good
Tyrese Maxey: A
Toronto is a tough matchup for Maxey due to how unique they are with their size, but Maxey was able to have success on offense in this one despite all of that. He was able to get into the paint, throw in some floaters over taller defenders, and he knocked in a triple. He was very good against Fred VanVleet on the defensive end as…
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