Embid scores 31 to carry 76ers to 2-0 series lead on Raptors
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid took a stiff arm moments after tipoff and the 7-footer pushed again. Attempting to maintain his composure, Embiid absorbed just a few extra deliberate blows from a Raptors protection clearly attempting to bully the massive man.
Coach Doc Rivers gave Embiid a fast message: “No, Jo, you be the dominant man.”
The NBA MVP finalist stop deferring and began dominating.
Embiid took his lumps and powered his option to 31 factors and 11 rebounds, Tyrese Maxey confirmed he was no one-game postseason marvel and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 112-97 on Monday night time for a 2-0 lead within the first-round collection.
“They put me on the ground just a few instances and to me, that is the place it will get fascinating,” Embiid mentioned. “I’m like, cool. I’m going to return again with extra energy and make you foul me.”
Embiid took foul after foul – he rubbed elements of his shoulders and elbows and shook off a minimum of one foot harm — and made 12 of 14 free throws. He made 9 of 16 pictures from the ground for the sport.
“That’s what we want from the Huge Fella,” Maxey mentioned.
Maxey had 23 factors, 9 rebounds and eight assists. Tobias Harris had 20 factors and 10 rebounds. James Harden scored 14.
Recreation 3 within the Japanese Convention collection is Wednesday in Toronto.
The Raptors trailed by 27 factors however confirmed some life within the fourth slicing it to 11 till Maxey, the Recreation 1 star, buried a 3 that obtained the Sixers rolling once more.
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OG Anunoby led the Raptors with 26 factors. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet every had 20.
The Raptors got here able to rumble after coach Nick Nurse accused the officers of letting the Sixers get away with exhausting fouls in Recreation 1. Not even 2 minutes into the sport, Anunoby shoved Embiid, Embiid shoved again and each groups needed to be separated as the gang erupted. Anunoby and Embiid had been each whistled for technical fouls.
“I didn’t actually need them to set that tone,” Embiid mentioned. “I wished myself and us to set that tone. That’s why I picked up that early technical foul.”
The Raptors raced to an 11-2 lead and had the primary six fouls to none for the 76ers.
“They wished to muck the sport up and play bodily, Rivers mentioned. “I simply advised our guys to only play by way of it.”
Embiid, the NBA scoring champion who had solely 19 factors in Recreation 1, was fouled exhausting by Siakam and made a free throw — one of many 11 he made within the quarter on 12 makes an attempt. He matched his Recreation 1 complete with 19 factors within the quarter.
Embiid advised Nurse within the waning moments of the sport that he was going to maintain making all of the free throws if Toronto continued to foul him.
Nurse’s retort? “You might need to.”
Embiid laughed and mentioned he advised Nurse, “respectfully, to cease b——ing about calls.”
VanVleet scored 17 factors within the half and tried to maintain the Raptors within the recreation. Maxey, who had 38 factors in Recreation 1, didn’t rating till he hit a floater within the lane with 8:03 left within the second. He adopted with an acrobatic layup for a 50-42 lead and all of the sudden the Sixers had some juice. Harden hit a 3 for an 11-point lead.
The half ended with a tense second.
Harden tried to separate two defenders on a drive down the lane within the ultimate seconds of the half and his knee crashed into Embiid’s left knee. Embiid’s left ankle appeared to buckle and each gamers went down in a heap. Each stars had been sprawled on the backs for a number of moments: Harden rubbed his neck and head. Embiid limped down the courtroom on the subsequent possession.
Sixers followers held their breath on the half.
Philly’s first bucket of the third quarter? How about Harden-to-Embiid on an alley-oop that settled nerves and rattled the rim.
Embiid scored 9 extra factors within the third and Maxey had seven for a 95-73 lead on the finish of the third. Embiid had 28 factors and 11 rebounds earlier than he picked up his first foul halfway by way of the fourth.
Embiid performed each bit just like the All-Star who carried the Sixers this season.
“He’s essentially the most dominant participant within the league,” Rivers mentioned.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Gary Trent Jr. was a game-time choice with an sickness. He didn’t rating and had 4 fouls within the first half. He didn’t return within the second.
76ers: Philly native and two-time South Carolina nationwide championship coach Daybreak Staley rang the ceremonial bell.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Raptors ahead Scottie Barnes sat out with a sprained left ankle suffered in Recreation 1. Barnes didn’t reveal a timetable for his return however mentioned he was “getting higher every day.”
CRYING FOUL
“There was one other open-handed slap to the face. Once more, I don’t perceive why is not going to name them. Aside from that, a minimum of there wasn’t as many elbows thrown to the face tonight that we needed to endure.” — Nurse, on the officiating.
UP NEXT
The Sixers head to Toronto and can play the subsequent two video games with out defensive ace Matisse Thybulle. Thybulle, who acquired one third-place vote within the NBA defensive participant of the yr award voting, is barred from getting into Canada as a result of he’s not absolutely vaccinated.
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Extra AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
