Philadelphia 76ers look to take command over depleted Toronto Raptors

The Philadelphia 76ers look to take command against the Toronto Raptors in Game 2. 

The Philadelphia 76ers easily handled the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of the first-round Eastern Conference Playoffs. Philly was led by second-year pro Tyrese Maxey, who scored 38 points to lead all scorers.

Toronto ran into multiple issues throughout Game 1 over the weekend. A combination of foul trouble and injuries led to the Raptors getting blown out.

https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1515493293613895683

Toronto is going to have a short series if Maxey is the player who leads Philly in scoring. He is the youngest 76er to score 30-plus points in a playoff game. In his 38-point explosion, Maxey shot 14-21 from the field, 5-8 from the three-point line, and 5-5 from the free-throw line. He also recorded four rebounds and two assists.

Joel Embid led the 76ers in scoring during the regular season but seemed to let his teammates flourish instead. He scored nine of his 19 points from the free-throw line. Don’t expect to see the same in Game 2 tonight. Embiid is Philadelphia’s best player for a reason. I’m anticipating at least 25 points or more from the big man tonight.

In his first playoff game as a 76er, James Harden scored 22 points and recorded 14 assists. Harden has become more of a point guard at this stage of his career. He will go down as one of the league’s best scorers and three-point shooters. Philly has the potential to make a deep playoff run if they can stay healthy and play their best brand of basketball.

The Raptors will look to somehow bounce back after the blowout loss in Game 1. It will be the hardest test the team has seen all season. Toronto will likely be without three of their better players for Game 2.

Gary Trent Jr. is considered doubtful with a non-covid-related illness, which does not sound like it will be long-term. Rookie and starter Scottie Barnes sprained his left ankle in Game 1, and was also listed as doubtful to play Game 2. Finally, Thaddeus Young is doubtful as well with a hyperextended left thumb.

Not having Trent Jr. and Barnes is going to significantly hurt the Raptors in Game 2. Both of them started 70 or more games for Toronto this season, and are key pieces to the team. Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the regular season. Trent Jr. averaged 18.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and a team-leading 1.7 steals per game.

Toronto is going to need a huge game out of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. The two were a part of the Raptors’ 2019 championship run, and they know what pressure in the playoffs feels like. VanVleet ran into some early foul trouble in game one, and that is why he only scored 18 points. Siakam did what he could to help Toronto win. His 24 points, three rebounds, and seven assists were not enough to stop Philly.

In Game 2, the Raptors will be looking to tie the series up, while Joel Embid and the 76ers are looking to head to Toronto with a 2-0 series lead. Will the Raptors be able to bounce back from injuries, or does Philly already have this series in the bag?