Field Level Media
Jan 15, 2018
Joel Embiid scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, T.J. McConnell added a career-high 18 points to go along with eight assists and the Philadelphia 76ers held on for a 117-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday at the Wells Fargo Center.
It was the seventh career game for Embiid with at least 30 points.
J.J. Redick contributed 15 before leaving in the fourth with a reported leg contusion. Ben Simmons added 12 while Robert Covington and Dario Saric had 11 each.
DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points while Delon Wright added 20. Kyle Lowry contributed 13, Pascal Siakam 11 and Serge Ibaka 10 and C.J. Miles 10 each.
Toronto had won the last four meetings and 18 of the last 19 in this series.
Lowry played despite missing the last three games because of a bruised tailbone.
The Sixers did enough down the stretch to avoid letting a double-digit lead get away. They had dropped seven games already this season when leading by 10 or more and pulled ahead by as many as 21 against the Raptors.
The Raptors proceeded to rip off a 14-4 run midway through the fourth to close within 99-92 with 5:47 remaining.
DeRozan converted a three-point play to slice the lead to 102-96 with 4:46 left. Wright then knocked down his fourth 3-pointer and the Raptors were down 102-99. After a Sixers turnover, DeRozan hit a long jumper to cut the lead to 102-101 with 2:59 remaining.
But the Sixers responded with five in a row capped by Saric's 3-pointer from the wing for a 107-101 advantage. Covington broke free and converted a layup with 1:25 left for an 111-103 lead.
Lowry hit a 3-pointer and Miles had an impressive offensive rebound and tip-in and suddenly it was 111-108 with 36.7 seconds left.
Embiid was fouled and hit both free throws to help seal the victory.
--Field Level Media