Raptors beat 76ers as rivalry takes on different meaning

TORONTO — A good chunk of the Toronto Raptors' 30th anniversary season has touched on the history the team shares with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Arguably, the two most momentous playoff series the franchise has ever had involved Philadelphia and serve as matching bookends on the Raptors' historical arc. First, when the Vince Carter-led Raptors lost in seven games in the second round to Allen Iverson and the Sixers, when Carter’s potentially game-winning three-pointer hit the rim and bounced long in 2001. And the Kawhi Leonard version in 2019, when the ball bounced four times and dropped in, giving the Raptors an epic Game 7 win in the second round and paving the way for a championship a month later.

There was even a first-round series in 2022 when Joel Embiid and Philly took Toronto down in six games in the first round, the high point, it turned out, of the post-Kyle Lowry, post-championship era. It’s been Play-In, draft lottery and, this year, draft lottery again, in the three years since.

But here the Raptors and Sixers were once more in another potentially franchise-defining battle, this time for 13th place in the Eastern Conference.

It’s a record scratch, to be sure.

The Raptors are right where they are supposed to be, having declared this season 'Year 1' of a rebuild. Their goal was to develop their young players, build chemistry and add an elite talent in the draft this season, and they have checked two of those boxes so far.

But the Sixers? They signed Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey to new contracts valued at $610 million this past summer. They were all-in on finishing The Process with the Sixers' first championship since 1983 when Julius Erving and Moses Malone were causing havoc across the league.

Instead, it’s been injuries, a bad start, more injuries, false starts, even more injuries, and epic disappointment.

“It was really, really difficult at times,” said Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, who held the same position with the Raptors from 2018-24. “What made it most difficult is when you’d actually go on a run and think you're making some progress, and then you get hit again (with another injury). I remember having one really good win, I can’t remember who it was against, and after the game — I always get a report from the medical team — and he came in and I was like 'please just let me get to the next game, we just played really good.' And he’s like, ‘uh, I don’t know what to tell you.’ You kept thinking you were going to get these guys back… and guys kept going down.”

Finally, the Sixers shut down Embiid after 19 games played, sent George to podcast camp or something and parked Maxey on the bench beside Lowry (who was also hurt and didn't play on Wednesday) for five games and counting.

The stakes are high: Philadelphia will owe its first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside of the top six after the draft lottery on May 12. Given where they are headed — a lot of money tied up for a lot of years in some oft-injured, aging players and a rapidly closing championship window — a talent injection from a potential rookie star could rescue the 76ers from long-term misery.

It just so happened that the Sixers arrived in Toronto a half-game behind the Raptors in the "reverse standings," having lost 15 of their last 18 games. Make that 16 of 19 now as the Raptors "defeated" the visitors 118-105 on Wednesday.

The Raptors are now 15-12 since Jan. 12 and have won five of their last six. It’s a feel-good story were it not for the fact they’ve dropped four spots in the draft lottery through the last two months.

The win not only moved Philadelphia (22-43) into a tie with Brooklyn (22-43) for fifth place in the lottery ball order and the Raptors (23-43) back to seventh, but the Sixers also now hold the tiebreaker as they have lost the season series to Toronto, though the two teams do meet one more time this year.

The Raptors did their part to execute the mission. When veteran centre Jakob Poeltl lined up for the tip — after sitting out two of the past three games for rest — he was making his 335th NBA start. Joining him on the floor were Jared Rhoden (making his second NBA start), Jamal Shead (third) and 10-day signee Colin Castleton and rookie Jamison Battle, who were getting their first NBA starts. Not playing for Toronto were regular starters Scottie Barnes (finger), Immanuel Quickley (rest), RJ Barrett (personal reasons) and Gradey Dick (knee, bruised sit bone). Also out were regulars Ochai Agbaji (ankle) and Ja'Kobe Walter (thigh strain). Brandon Ingram (ankle) remained out and the Raptors' most effective reserve, Chris Boucher, didn't check in and hasn’t seen the floor in two weeks.

The Sixers' injury and inactive list was just as long and top-heavy, but it didn’t matter. Even though Poeltl was held to 17 minutes and Shead was glued to the bench after 12, perhaps because the Raptors were plus-17 with the rookie on the floor as he dished five assists while repeatedly splitting the Sixers defence. But even while playing 38-year-old Garrett Temple, Lawson and Rhoden at point guard for all of the second half, Toronto couldn’t out-tank Philadelphia.

For whatever reason, the Raptors' gathering of youngsters and players trying to gain traction in the NBA has proven more effective than their opponents'.

While on Monday night, it was two-way player AJ Lawson having a career night in a Raptors win, on Wednesday, it was Rhoden, another athletic wing who went undrafted in 2023 after playing four years at Seton Hall but had been a good G-League player the Raptors signed to a two-way last month. He showed out with career highs of 25 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals in 43 minutes.

“It felt really good,” said Rhoden. “It’s just a testament to the hard work I’ve put in to have this moment. It’s really special, and I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to be here and show what I can do.”

Lawson had another nice night off the bench with 28 points and six rebounds, while Orlando Robinson finished with a career-best 25 points and nabbed 12 rebounds,  which tied his career mark, while Castleton had 14 rebounds, another career milestone. The only smudge on the effort was the Raptors' 22 turnovers, but that might be as expected given they only had one point guard — Shead — and he barely played.

“Just to see those guys step on the floor, and contribute that well was special,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, while also making note of his team notching 33 assists on 44 made field goals and holding a 17-10 edge in offensive rebounds.

Unlike a lot of the big moments in the Raptors and Sixers shared history, the game was never particularly close. Toronto led by 14 at half and while Philadelphia cut the lead to seven with 5:16 left, Lawson and Robinson scored on consecutive possessions and pushed the lead back to double figures.

It was a game the Raptors would have been fine to lose, but at this stage of their respective seasons, Philadelphia is simply better equipped to do that.

Grange for three

• The Raptors finished their homestand 3-1 and now head west with stops in Utah on Friday, Portland on Sunday, Phoenix on Monday and Golden State next Thursday. The matchup against the Warriors, and then against Detroit on April 4, are the Raptors' only remaining games against teams with winning records.

• Rajakovic didn’t have much choice other than to keep his rotation fairly tight with just eight players seeing the floor. Of those, six of them — Rhoden, Castleton, Battle, Lawson, Robinson and Temple, the 15-year veteran — were undrafted out of college, and Shead was a second-round pick taken 45th overall.

• While the Raptors have the NBA’s softest remaining schedule, facing teams with an aggregate winning percentage of .383, the Sixers have the sixth-easiest schedule, facing teams with a .470 winning percentage. Brooklyn — who the Raptors still have to play twice — has the 12th easiest schedule at .494.