PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers were able to get off to one amazing start on Friday night in their home matchup with the Toronto Raptors. They were shooting the ball at a highly efficient rate as they shot 79.6% from the floor on their way to a 77-57 lead.
It looked like it was going to be an easy night. If the Sixers could maintain their play, then they’d be able to get valuable rest for James Harden and Joel Embiid.
Instead, the Raptors opened the second half on a 15-2 run to cut the lead to 79-72 as Philadelphia couldn’t sustain their offensive rhythm. They shot only 38.9% in the third quarter and they committed six turnovers and they committed another six turnovers in the fourth quarter before they recovered for a 117-110 win.
“They changed their scheme a little bit,” explained Embiid. “It took us time to kind of figure out what they were doing and had to adapt, but we did adjust it and we got it going back offensively.”
To be fair, the Sixers were not going to shoot 79.6% from the floor in the second half. That type of red-hot shooting is just not sustainable. Philadelphia shot just 3-for-17 from deep after halftime.
“I’m happy we won the game,” said coach Doc Rivers. “We were shooting 79%. What’s the odds? You’re going to Vegas, what would be the odds, we shot 79% the second half? You know what I’m saying? We got the same shots. They didn’t go in. We were 3-of-17, I think in, the second half 16 of them are wide-open 3s. It’s a make-or-miss game. So in that way, I was not upset at all. They just didn’t go in and we held on to win.”
All fair points by Rivers, but the Sixers also committed 12 turnovers after halftime. Six in each quarter. That cannot happen moving forward.
“Turnovers,” added Harden. “Not rebounding the ball.”
The Sixers will now move on to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
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