Raptors drop playoff opener as Maxey dazzles in 76ers blowout victory
Tyrese Maxey scored 21 of his 38 factors within the third quarter Saturday to stuff any Raptors’ hopes of a comeback, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat visiting Toronto 131-111 in Recreation 1 of their opening-round playoff collection.
Barnes had 15 factors and 10 rebounds in a wonderful playoff debut earlier than Sixers’ 280-pound centre Joel Embiid stepped on the rookie’s foot sending him sprawling to the ground in agony with 9:06 to play. VanVleet had 18 factors and 6 assists earlier than leaving the sport on the identical play.
Embiid had 19 factors and 15 rebounds.
WATCH | Barnes sprains ankle in playoff debut:
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Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes left the sport after spraining his ankle in Toronto’s 131-111 loss, within the first sport of their NBA playoff collection towards the Philadelphia 76ers. 1:50
The Raptors fell to 5-17 all-time in playoff collection openers. Recreation 2 of the best-of-seven collection is Monday at Philadelphia.
It was the primary post-season assembly between the Atlantic Division rivals since Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer-beater dispatched Philly within the 2019 convention semifinals.
Barely per week after the Raptors clawed again from a 17-2 deficit to beat Philly 119-114 in Toronto — the Sixers’ solely loss of their closing six video games of the common season — there was no second-half heroics on Saturday.
WATCH | Maxey places on present as 76ers take collection lead over Raptors:
Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 38 factors because the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 131-111 within the first sport of the NBA playoff collection. 1:42
The Sixers’ 21-point lead within the second quarter had turn into 24 by early within the third. Achiuwa drove previous Embiid and picked up a foul. His three-point play at 5:56 of the third capped a 10-2 run that sliced the distinction to 11 factors and breathed some life into the Raptors. However Maxey virtually single-handedly put a fast cease to Toronto’s momentum along with his large third quarter, and the Sixers led 107-88 with one quarter left.
The Raptors unravelled within the fourth and Shake Milton’s three-pointer with 7:34 to play put Philly up by 23 in entrance of the raucous Wells Fargo Area crowd. Boucher, who had seven factors on the evening, fouled out with 5:27 to play. Maxey’s jumper with 3:19 to play had the Sixers up by 22 and each coaches emptied their benches quickly after.
The Raptors’ id is about turning groups over and successful the offensive rebound battle, however the Sixers beat the Raptors at their very own sport on Saturday. Philly grabbed 10 offensive boards to Toronto’s seven, and dedicated simply 4 turnovers to the Raptors’ eight.
However the Sixers dominated from the outset, grabbing six offensive boards within the first quarter to Toronto’s two. They constructed a 10-point lead and led 35-27 to start out the second.
A working dunk from Anunoby capped a 5-0 Raptors run to open the second quarter. It sliced the distinction to simply three factors, however the momentum was short-lived because the Sixers replied with a 9-0 run and by the point Harris knocked down a 3 with 1:12 left within the half, Philly was up by 21 factors. The 76ers led 69-51 at halftime.
The collection heads residence to Toronto for Video games 3 on Wednesday and 4 subsequent Saturday. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that noticed the 2020 season finish within the Disney World “bubble” and a 2021 season that noticed the Raptors tumble down the standings amid a COVID-19 outbreak to complete twelfth in 2021, will probably be the primary time Scotiabank Area has hosted playoff basketball since Recreation 5 of the NBA Finals.
In Toronto on Saturday, followers gathered in “Jurassic Park” outdoors Scotiabank Area to observe the sport on the large display screen. Followers hadn’t gathered there to observe playoff basketball in 1,045 days, for the reason that Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors to win the 2019 NBA championship.
The collection will head again to Philly for Recreation 5, if wanted.
