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The Philadelphia 76ers took the floor in Toronto Tuesday night, looking to build some momentum off their win vs. the Wizards. This would be another matchup against a shorthanded squad as the Raptors have been hit hard by health and safety protocol. They received some reinforcements heading into the game, but it was not enough.
Despite a strong second-half push from Toronto, the Sixers managed to hold on and win by a final score of 114-109. Here are some observations from the matchup.
1) Another night at the office for Joel Embiid
Since returning to the lineup, Joel Embiid has put together a dominant stretch. The Raptors have been known to give him trouble in the past, but that was not the case in this game. Embiid ended the night with 36 points for the second-straight game.
Chris Boucher and the Raptors did all they could to slow him down, but they simply lack the size to combat a player like Embiid. Even when collapsing multiple defenders on him, Embiid managed to have his way around the rim.
Similar to his showing against the Wizards, the efficiency shooting-wise is the area that stands out most from Embiid. He needed just 16 shot attempts and connected on 11 of them. The All-Star big man also went an impressive 12-for-14 from the free-throw line.
Embiid is putting together one of the most dominant runs of his career right now, and it's finally starting to result in some wins for the Sixers.
2) Production from the supporting cast
Early on in the season, a balanced offensive attack was a major catalyst for the Sixers' success. Unfortunately, that all went away when the team was hit hard by protocol. As they slowly creep back to full strength, the supporting cast is showing signs of life.
The Sixers' bench was one of the big stories of this game. In the end, they outscored the Raptors' second unit 35-18. Arguably the biggest standout from the Sixers' supporting cast was Georges Niang, who tallied 19 points in 22 minutes of action.
Furkan Korkmaz followed up his slump-ending performance against Washington with a solid night against the Raptors. He scored 10 points in his 16 minutes on the floor, including knocking down a pair of triples.
Steady production from the supporting cast is essential for the Sixers moving forward. The less they have to tap into Embiid on a nightly basis, the better.
3) Tobias Harris does it all
Tobias Harris did not have a great night shooting the ball but still managed to do something he has never done in the NBA. He tallied his first career triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists.
Good players always find a way to impact the game outside of scoring, and that's exactly what Harris did Tuesday. Even when his shots weren't falling, he found other ways to help contribute to the win. He also took advantage of his size and got the foul line 14 times, converting 13 attempts.
Cold shooting nights are always going to happen during the marathon that is the NBA regular season. Credit to Harris for stepping up in other ways and not letting his poor shooting weigh down the rest of the team.
