featured-image

Game Preview | Scott Answers Call

Mike Scott made the most of his first start of the season Saturday.

In a statistically historic night for Ben Simmons (34 pts, 3 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk) and the team, Scott found his groove, finishing with 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

“[I was] just playing confident,” Scott said. “Ben found me a couple times, Trey found me a couple times, ball went my way.”

Despite his big night, Scott’s attention turned immediately to hosting the defending NBA Champion Toronto Raptors (15-6) Sunday to close the team’s back-to-back.

“You’ve just got to go out there and dominate like we did tonight. Take care of business, and get ready for [Toronto],” Scott said.

To treat Sunday’s matchup like just another game would ignore the recent history between the two teams, after the Sixers dropped a close one in Toronto - where last season ended - on Nov. 25.

“To dust it off and say it’s another game - I will not say that at all,” Brett Brown said. “Our recent history with them, you remember. And it’s true, they are the NBA Champs. The game we lost in Toronto, it doesn’t go away quickly.”

For Brown, Scott’s starting nod was meant to help the veteran wing find his spark -- a spark that could be key once again as the Raptors visit.

“I just had a gut feel like, maybe this is a way we can jumpstart him. Tonight, I thought that he was really aggressive, and I was happy for him. He’s good people, and he certainly puts in time, and cares,” Brown said.

For Scott, it’s all about maintaining consistency, no matter the opponent.

“I work on my game every day. I just stay with it, continue to get my shots, work on my touch, and sooner or later it’s going to drop,” Scott said.

The Sixers, still unbeaten at home, will look to even their season series with the Raptors as Sunday’s contest tips at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Opponent Outlook:

The Raptors are 6-4 on the road this season. After winning seven straight, the defending champs have lost their last two games hosting the Heat and Rockets.

Pascal Siakam continues to impress, averaging a team-high 25.0 points and team-high 8.6 rebounds per game.

After missing much of November with a left thumb fracture, Kyle Lowry returned to the court earlier this week. The point man scored 19 points against the Rockets Thursday, shooting 62.5% from the field against his former team.

Follow Along:

Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia / MyTeams App

Listen: 97.5 The Fanatic