Playoff Bell Ringer Scoring:
Tyrese Maxey – 1 (Game 1)
Joel Embiid – 1 (Game 2)
Everything the Sixers did back in Philadelphia they did wrong early in this game in Toronto. They started flipping the ball frequently, resulting in a lot of quick break points for the Raptors. Toronto also won the battle for the second chance points and quickly built a 10-point lead after a quarter and held that lead at halftime. But the Sixers clipped, forcing bonus basketball to eventually take their first lead of the game in the opening seconds of overtime. All of this set the scene for Joel Hans Embiid:
Joel Embiid: 33 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 6 rallies
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images
Joel got off to a tough start tonight, turning the ball left and right and seeing his club fall double digits. But starting in the third quarter, he flipped the switch to MVP mode when he scored 18 points alone. Embiid flashed the entire arsenal of moves, but his most emphatic points were simply a demonstration of his sheer power.
In the fourth quarter, Embiid hit a couple of big jumpers, including a ridiculous fadeaway three off the wing after a pump fake.
He didn’t hit the contested game-winner at the end of rule, but Joel shot another absurd turnaround jumper from the circle to put the Sixers back in front in overtime. Then of course the game winner with less than a second on the clock in overtime. What an exciting moment for him to get that shot on the same basket where he endured such heartbreak three years ago. I couldn’t be happier for the man.
Damn, let’s watch it again.
James Harden: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 turnovers
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images
While the Sixers looked frantic in the first half and a little overwhelmed by Toronto’s now-or-never energy, it was the 32-year-old veteran’s steady hand that kept the roster within striking distance. He led Philadelphia with 12 points in the first half, drilling a pair of threes and pulling a few fouls on the edge. The Bart also had the ball in his hands for the guts of the game towards the end of regulation, turning into a drive (which was dubbed a goalie) with just over a minute to draw within a minute. On the next possession, Harden pulled the foul and made a two at the foul line to tie the game. Despite fouling with 26.6 seconds left of the rulebook, Harden’s fingerprints were all over that win.
Tobias Harris: 11 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images
Tip of the cap to Tobias who didn’t carry the point load of Games 1 or 2 but he was reasonably efficient and made many winning games tonight. He converted a couple of hard drives through lane, one saved Harden after almost losing the dribble and scooped it up to Harris with the shot clock down, and pinned a very difficult baseline turn. But we’ll remember Tobi for his robust work on the boards in this game, exemplified by his incredible use of offensive rebound at the end of regulation, where he fell six inches short of a hero on his putback attempt. Harris also continued to put up excellent defense, mostly against Pascal Siakam, who shot just 6 of 16 that night.