3 Observations: Embiid, Maxey Lead Sixers to 2-0 Series Lead Over Raptors

By Matt Gregan, Sports Talk Philly Staff Writer

The Philadelphia 76ers took a 2-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors with a 112-97 win on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Joel Embiid led the way for the Sixers, scoring 31 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field to go along with 11 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey followed up his 38-point performance in Game 1 by nearly recording a triple-double. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go with nine boards and eight assists. Tobias Harris added in an efficient 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

The Sixers shot the ball well, connecting on 52.2 percent of their shots from the field and 46.7 percent of their shots from three-point range.

The Raptors were without standout rookie Scottie Barnes, who the team announced has a left ankle sprain. Gary Trent Jr. was doubtful with a non-Covid illness, but he attempted to play through it. He went on to play an uneventful 10 minutes in the first half before being ruled out for the remainder of the game with the illness.

The first two games of this series could not have gone much better for the Sixers, but the next two in Toronto – where the Sixers will be without Matisse Thybulle due to Canada's Covid vaccination policy – will present a tough test. Game 3 is on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Here are three observations from the win in Game 2:

Sixers respond well to Toronto's increased physicality

The Sixers bullied the Raptors in Game 1, winning the battle on the glass and getting whatever they want on the offensive end. Toronto came into Game 2 with a plan to increase their physicality and test how the Sixers would adjust. They found some success early on, building an 11-2 lead in the first 2:12 of action. There was a minor dust-up in the opening few minutes between Embiid and OG Anunoby resulting in technical fouls for both players. Pascal Siakam also committed a hard foul on an Embiid drive to the basket in a sign of how physical things would be throughout the night.

After Embiid scored 19 points in Game 1, it became clear early on the Sixers came in with a plan to get him more involved in the offense. It took him a few minutes to get going, but once he did he was unstoppable all the while doing a good job countering Toronto's increased physicality from the game's opening minutes. He finished an and-one in transition to tie the game at 13 with 6:47 remaining in the first quarter.

🗣️ show 'em! @JHarden13 ➡️ @JoelEmbiid pic.twitter.com/Tt61mMdVGI

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 18, 2022

Embiid scored 19 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field in the first quarter alone. He also played a big role in getting Toronto into foul trouble, getting to the free-throw line 12 times in the opening quarter. Siakam, OG Anunoby and Khem Birch all picked up two fouls in the first quarter.

The big fella doing a good job drawing fouls has become a staple this season, and he took no issue continuing it throughout the Sixers' win in Game 2. Toronto picked up 24 fouls as a team with the Sixers taking advantage and shooting 26-of-30 from the free-throw line.

More success in the non-Embiid minutes

Winning the non-Embiid minutes has been a rarity for the Sixers throughout Embiid's career thus far. Winning them in the playoffs has been even rarer. Winning them two games in a row? That's a bit unheard of, and yet the Sixers achieved that feat in the first two games of this series against the Raptors.

Embiid dominated the action in the first quarter, but the Sixers found themselves down 33-32 due to a 15-point quarter from Fred VanVleet. When he left the floor to begin the second quarter, the supporting cast stepped up. Harris started getting involved, finishing around the basket and knocking down a catch-and-shoot three on a dime from James Harden. The Raptors' defense has poured a lot of attention towards stopping Embiid and, through two games, Harris has taken advantage. He is confidently knocking down threes and working in the mid-range against a smaller Toronto defense.

Maxey, who took just one shot in the first quarter, energized the home crowd with a personal 6-0 run to expand the team's lead to 52-42 with 7:07 remaining in the second quarter. The second-year guard from Kentucky continued to be a major positive for the Sixers as he found the right balance of when to attack and when to let others control the offense.

The Sixers outscored Toronto by 12 points in the six minutes Embiid sat in the first half. A lot of that success can be attributed to the play of Harris, Maxey and others. When those two players specifically are clicking, the Sixers should have no issue handling the non-Embiid minutes. Add in head coach Doc Rivers' decision, at least against the Raptors, to give Paul Reed the backup center minutes and the Sixers are actually in not too bad of shape when Embiid is off the floor. The Sixers would go on to finish as a plus-8 in 11 non-Embiid minutes in Game 2.

Fourth quarter struggles

The Sixers were clicking on all cylinders for much of the night, carrying a 95-71 lead into the fourth quarter. One of the only negatives through three quarters was the injury scares to Embiid and Maxey. Embiid seemed to hurt his elbow while Maxey was down on the court for a minute or two holding his arm after a hard fall while driving to the basket. Neither player missed any time.

Things could not have gone much better for the Sixers heading into the fourth quarter. They were in a groove offensively while doing a good job controlling Toronto's offense. They allowed 71 points through three quarters of play and received strong defensive efforts from throughout the roster. Harden, specifically, did a good job staying engaged defensively.

nope, let's go this way. 🔙 pic.twitter.com/bp9etH7mdA

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 19, 2022

Harden is a player not known for his defense, but he played active defense throughout the night. He finished with three steals and two blocks, and his good defense helped to counteract his poorer offensive showing (14 points, 3-of-9 shooting, six rebounds, six assists).

Things were going great for the Sixers leading into the fourth quarter. However, the team began to coast a bit and the Raptors went on a 15-2 run in the first 5:12 in the fourth quarter to cut the lead down to 97-86. The team strung together some brutal possessions and the offense lacked the same energy and ball movement from earlier in the game.

Maxey would go on to end the Raptors' run by knocking down a three to make it a 100-86 game with 6:08 remaining. They then proceeded to keep Toronto at arm's length throughout the final six minutes of action.

The Raptors are too good of a team to let your foot off the gas, and the Sixers hopefully learned that mistake in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and will avoid repeating it later in the series.