Raptors: Toronto wins over 76ers

The Toronto Raptors lived to see one other recreation.

Pascal Siakam poured in 34 factors together with his greatest efficiency of those playoffs, and the Raptors beat the 76ers 110-102 on Saturday to keep away from elimination of their opening-round playoff collection.

Sport 5 of the best-of-seven set goes Monday in Philadelphia.

Gary Trent Jr. had 24 factors, whereas Thaddeus Younger chipped in with 13, and OG Anunoby completed with 11 for the Raptors, who performed greater than half the sport with out injured all-star guard Fred VanVleet.

Scottie Barnes, Toronto’s newly minted NBA rookie of the yr, completed with six factors and 11 rebounds in his return after lacking two video games with a sprained left ankle.

James Harden had 22 factors for Philly, whereas Joel Embiid, taking part in with a thumb harm, completed with 21.

Whereas the Raptors led by as many as 17 factors on Wednesday earlier than their heartbreaking loss in time beyond regulation, Sport 4 was a decent battle from the outset. The Raptors cobbled collectively a 12-point cushion within the second quarter, however the Sixers chipped away on the distinction and the Raptors went into the fourth clutching an 80-77 lead.

The Sixers minimize the lead to a degree, however the Raptors replied with a 6-0 run, and when Younger swiped the ball off Embiid and Treasured Achiuwa completed with a basket, the Raptors went up by seven with 9:11 to play.

Anunoby drilled a three-pointer, then Siakam related on a pair of free throws for a 14-point lead with 3:28 to play. The Sixers unravelled within the ultimate couple of minutes. Embiid was whistled for a technical when he bodychecked Siakam.

Achiuwa gave the Raptors a 14-point lead when he slashed by means of the defence to the basket with 1:28 to play, to the delight of a rowdy Scotiabank Enviornment crowd that included singer Avril Lavigne.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse emptied his bench with 1:19 to play, as the group chanted “Raps in seven!”

Siakam’s stable recreation got here three days after he scored simply 12 factors — and nil within the second half — in Sport 3, and vowed to be extra aggressive.

No workforce in NBA historical past has come again from a 3-0 deficit to win a collection, which Nurse referred to as a “heckuva problem,” saying “anyone’s gotta do it.” 13 NBA groups have come again from 3-1 deficits to win collection, together with the Denver Nuggets, who did it twice within the 2020 playoffs.

Barnes earned a loud standing ovation when workforce president Masai Ujiri introduced his rookie of the yr award earlier than tipoff. Former Raptor nice Vince Carter had delivered the information to the 20-year-old through video throughout a workforce apply.

VanVleet, who’d missed 13 video games down the stretch with a bruised proper knee, left the sport with a left hip pressure late within the second quarter. He limped badly down the court docket, grabbing the neck of his jersey with two arms and ripping it in frustration. He limped straight to the locker-room.

Embiid, who hit the game-winning three-pointer in Wednesday’s 104-101 time beyond regulation win, performed with a thumb harm that’s feared to be a torn tendon. He repeatedly clutched the taped hand with a grimace on Saturday. He’ll endure an MRI shortly.

“I feel we already know what it’s, to be trustworthy, however we have simply bought to ensure,” mentioned Sixers coach Doc Rivers. “We really feel prefer it’s not an amazing harm, and I am simply going to depart it at that.”

Siakam led the best way with 10 factors in a see-saw first quarter that noticed neither workforce lead by greater than 4 factors. The Raptors shot simply 2-for-9 from three-point vary but did sufficient to go into the second tied with Philly at 24-24.

Trent Jr. had 12 factors within the second and his working three-pointer with about 4 minutes left within the quarter capped a Raptors 26-11 run and noticed them go up by 12. The Sixers closed with an 11-4 run, and the Raptors led 54-49 on the halftime break.

The Sixers received Video games 1 and a couple of in Philadelphia by scores of 131-111 and 112-97.

The collection would come again to Toronto for Sport 6, if obligatory.

This collection is the primary Raptors playoff motion at Scotiabank Enviornment for the reason that 2019 championship run. The Raptors dispatched the Sixers in seven video games within the convention semifinals that yr.

The Raptors have been swept in three playoff collection, twice by Cleveland in 2017 and ’18 and by Washington in 2015.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 23, 2022.