76ers-Raptors Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Nov 10 2012 12:46PM

After leaning on their defense at the start of this season, the Philadelphia 76ers may have gotten just the breakthrough scoring performances they've needed last time out.

The 76ers will try to build on that showing in Saturday night's visit to the Toronto Raptors, who will be missing starters Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields.

Philadelphia (3-2) scored only 83.3 points per game through its first four contests but managed to earn two wins thanks to a pair of standout defensive efforts. The 76ers recorded an 84-75 victory over Denver during their season opener Oct. 31 and held New Orleans to a franchise low for points in a 77-62 road win Wednesday.

They didn't have as much success containing Boston on Friday but came away with a 106-100 win. Evan Turner had a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday chipped in 21 points and 14 assists for Philadelphia, which shot 48.8 percent after converting only 38.3 percent of its attempts through its first four games.

"Great, great win for us, on the road, character builder, team builder, all the things we are trying to do," coach Doug Collins said.

With 18.6 points per contest, Holiday is the only Philadelphia player averaging more than 14.0. Andrew Bynum's absence due to a knee problem hasn't helped the 76ers' scoring attack and neither has Jason Richardson's sprained ankle.

With those players' timelines for returning unknown, Philadelphia will try to rely on its depth while continuing its recent success against Toronto (1-4). The 76ers have won four of the last five meetings and each of their last two visits to Air Canada Centre.

They will get the benefit of not having to face Lowry, a Philadelphia native who has been at his best when facing his hometown team. The point guard, leading Toronto with a career-best 18.3 points per game, has averaged 18.0 on 61.3 percent shooting in his last six matchups with the 76ers and scored a career-high 36 against them on Feb. 16, 2011, while with Houston.

Lowry is dealing with a sprained right ankle, which he suffered in a 108-88 loss in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. He did not play the following night in a 109-104 defeat to Dallas.

Like Lowry, Fields is in his first season with Toronto but has gotten off to a bad start, shooting 5 of 24 from the field and averaging 2.4 points despite starting all five games. The former Knick recently saw a specialist due to a tender right wrist but will miss this game and get a second opinion next week.

Andrea Bargnani scored a season-high 25 points Wednesday and is averaging 23.2 over his last six meetings with the Sixers.

The Raptors will try to rely on a defense that's allowed an average of 88.0 points in two home games compared with 108.0 in three road contests.

76ers win third straight, beat Raptors 93-83

Posted Nov 10 2012 10:55PM

TORONTO (AP) After leaning heavily on his starters in Friday's win at Boston, 76ers coach Doug Collins knew he would need a big effort from his bench to beat Toronto on Saturday night.

In a spectacular second quarter, the Sixers' reserves gave Collins all he asked for, and more.

Thaddeus Young, Jrue Holiday and Nick Young scored 16 points apiece and Philadelphia beat Toronto 93-83, its fifth victory in six meetings with the Raptors.

Holiday, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young were all worn down after playing more than 40 minutes Friday. When they flagged, Nick Young, Spencer Hawes and Royal Ivey stepped in and delivered a much-needed dose of energy.

"Our first unit just didn't have any juice at all," Collins said. "Our second unit was fantastic and that was the difference in the game.

"That's what we're going to have to do, because we have 22 back-to-backs this year," he added.

Hawes had 12 points and 11 rebounds, Dorell Wright added 15 points and Philadelphia won its third straight, with all three victories coming on the road. It's the first time the 76ers have done that since February 2003.

"I'm thrilled, 3-0 road trip," Collins said.

After beating the Celtics 106-100 Friday, the Sixers knocked off another Atlantic Division opponent thanks to a huge second quarter that saw them turn a six-point deficit into a 19-point lead.

"We knew we had to come in and give (the starters) a little boost for that stretch from the end of the first through second quarter," Hawes said. "I think we did just that."

Andrea Bargnani led Toronto with 23 points, while DeMar DeRozan had 19. Jose Calderon had 14 points and 11 assists, but the Raptors lost their third straight.

Rookie Jonas Valanciunas had eight points and eight rebounds as Toronto was held to a season-low point total.

The Raptors used a 9-0 run in the first to take a 26-20 lead but the Sixers turned the tables in the second, getting 11 points from Nick Young and using a 12-0 run to outscore Toronto 32-7. Philadelphia led 52-33 at the half.

"We were just knocking down shots and playing hard defense," Nick Young said. "We brought all the energy we could and we just fed off it."

Toronto made just two of 20 field goal attempts in the second, while Philadelphia connected on 13 of 18.

"We lost our focus on both ends," DeRozan said. "We couldn't score, couldn't get stops."

The second-quarter meltdown was a new wrinkle for the 1-5 Raptors, who've been working to clean up slow starts.

"We play three quarters and kind of lose it in one, everything we've worked for," Calderon said. "We have to try and do better. We have to play for a full 48 (minutes) or we are not going to be able to beat good teams."

Bargnani scored eight points in the third as the Raptors closed the gap, and Amir Johnson's alley-oop at the buzzer cut it to 69-62 heading into the fourth.

DeRozan cut it to six with a free throw to start the final quarter, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Wright restored Philadelphia's double-digit lead, and ensured the Sixers' third straight victory in Toronto.

Calderon started at point guard for the Raptors in place of Kyle Lowry (right ankle), while Alan Anderson started for Landry Fields (right wrist). Anderson, however, sprained his left foot late in the third and had to be carried off. He did not return.

The 76ers played without center Kwame Brown (left calf) and guard Jason Richardson (left ankle).

NOTES: Evan Turner led the 76ers with 12 rebounds. ... Lowry, Toronto's leading scorer, left in the first half of Tuesday's loss at Oklahoma City and has not played since. Fields, who has been sore for several weeks, saw a hand specialist Friday and is scheduled to see another doctor next week. ... Linas Kleiza returned to Toronto's lineup after missing the past four games for personal reasons. ... The Raptors wore camouflage jerseys in honor of Sunday's Remembrance Day holiday. ... The 76ers are 4-0 when leading after three quarters. ... Philadelphia has won three straight in Toronto.

Notebook: 76ers 93, Raptors 83

Ray Bala, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Nov 10, 2012 11:02 PM - Updated Sat Nov 10, 2012 11:23 PM

THE FACTS: Philadelphia 76ers (4-2) defeat the Toronto Raptors (1-5) at the Air Canada Centre 93-83 on Saturday. The 76ers now make it an even 16-16 in Toronto all-time, 33-32 overall between the franchises.

The Raptors were held to 26% field goal shooting to drop their third straight game. The 76ers outscored the home team 32-7 in the second quarter which the put them in the lead for good.

The Raptors bright spots were Andrea Bargnani who led the three double-figure scorers with a game-high 23 points followed by DeMar DeRozan who had 19 and Jose Calderon who had a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists.

Philadelphia had five players in double figures led by Thaddeus Young, Nick Young, and guard Jrue Holiday all of whom had 16 points a piece with Nick's coming off the bench. Big man Spencer Hawes had the lone double-double for the Sixers with 12 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

QUOTABLE: "We were down in there in the first quarter, got it to six and the second unit was fantastic, Spencer (Hawes), Swaggy (Nick Young) and Royal (Ivey), and that was the difference in the game." -- 76ers head coach Doug Collins on the key second quarter run.

THE STAT: The Raptors were held to 2-of-20 from the field in the second quarter and made their only two free throws for a total of seven points. In comparison, the 76ers were 13-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the line for 32.

TURNING POINT: With the game seesawing back and forth in the fourth quarter, the Raptors were poised to make one final run being down 83-69 when DeRozan, unhappy with a no-call voiced his displeasure. The result was a technical foul with 3:46 to play and with Evan Turner sinking a free throw to increase the lead to 14. That sequence took the wind out of the Raptors' sails and they never got closer than ten points and that effectively ended the home team's hopes of a comeback.

NOTABLE: Raptor guard Alan Anderson, who replaced injured teammate Landry Fields in the starting lineup, left the game with 5 seconds in the third quarter with a sprained left foot. This now has Raptors with potentially three rotation players on the bench for their next game against the Boston Celtics Monday.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors, Monday vs. Utah, Tuesday @ Indiana, Saturday @ Boston. For Sixers, Monday vs. Milwaukee, Wednesday vs. Detroit, Friday vs. Utah.

• 76ers: Bynum
• Raptors: Fields, Lowry

• 76ers: --
• Raptors: DeRozan

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #33 Sean Corbin, #28 Zach Zarba, #72 JT Orr
• Attendance: 19800
• Duration: 2:18