Joel Embid scores 31 to lead 76ers to 2-0 series lead on Raptors

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Joel Embiid took his lumps and powered his method to 31 factors and 11 rebounds, Tyrese Maxey confirmed he was no one-game postseason surprise and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 112-97 on Monday night time for a 2-0 lead within the first-round collection.

Maxey had 23 factors, 9 rebounds and eight assists. Tobias Harris had 20 factors and 10 rebounds. James Harden scored 14.

Sport 3 within the Jap Convention collection is Wednesday in Toronto.

The Raptors trailed by 27 factors however confirmed some life within the fourth chopping it to 11 till Maxey, the Sport 1 star, buried a 3 that received the Sixers rolling once more.

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 arduous fouls in Sport 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 have been each whistled for technical fouls.

The Raptors raced to an 11-2 lead and had the primary six fouls to none for the 76ers.

All that pushing and shoving could as nicely been chilly water on the Sixers’ slumbering Huge Man.

Embiid, the NBA scoring champion who had solely 19 factors in Sport 1, was fouled arduous by Siakam and made a free throw — one of many 11 he made within the quarter on 12 makes an attempt. He matched his Sport 1 whole with 19 factors within the quarter.

VanVleet scored 17 factors within the half and tried to maintain the Raptors within the sport. Maxey, who had 38 factors in Sport 1, did not 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 a 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 have been sprawled on the backs for a number of moments: Harden rubbed his neck and head. Embiid limped down the courtroom on the following 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 the fourth.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Gary Trent Jr. was a game-time determination 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 Sport 1. Barnes didn’t reveal a timetable for his return however stated he was “getting higher every day.”

CRYING FOUL

“I hope that they have sufficient guts to at the very least cease the sport and have a look at that stuff tonight. I do not thoughts physicality. It is the playoffs, we anticipate it to be bodily.” — Nurse, earlier than the sport, on the officiating.

UP NEXT

The Sixers head to Toronto and can play the following two video games with out defensive ace Matisse Thybulle. Thybulle, who obtained one third-place vote within the NBA defensive participant of the 12 months award voting, is barred from coming into Canada as a result of he isn’t totally vaccinated.