Scottie Barnes leads Raptors past Sixers 115-107; Toronto's bench steps up

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers guard Ricky Council IV (14) defends during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Scottie Barnes had 27 points, five rebounds and four assists as the Toronto Raptors held on for a 115-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

Jakob Poeltl scored 19 points with nine rebounds and four blocks for Toronto (1-1). Rookie centre Jonathan Mogbo came off the bench for 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks to lead the Raptors' reserves.

Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 24 points and added four assists and two rebounds for Philadelphia (0-2). Andre Drummond had 11 points and nine boards

Sixers guard Kyle Lowry saluted the 18,345 fans at Scotiabank Arena between the first and second quarters as the Raptors honoured former players as part of their 30th-anniversary celebrations. He had 14 points and two assists.

Both teams were without some of their star players.

Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said pre-game that point guard Immanuel Quickley (right pelvic contusion) would miss the game. He joined RJ Barrett (sprained shoulder) of Mississauga, Ont., Kelly Olynyk (back) of Kamloops, B.C., Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery), and Ja’Kobe Walter (sprained shoulder) on the inactive list.

Former NBA MVP Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) and nine-time all-star Paul George (bone bruise, left knee) were both out for Philly. The NBA confirmed on Thursday that it was investigating Embiid’s absence in Wednesday’s season opener as part of its player participation policy that went into effect last season.

Takeaways

76ers: Although Maxey led Philadelphia’s offence, Toronto guards Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead still disrupted his flow. Maxey was 6 for 23 from field-goal range, including 2 for 12 shooting from beyond the arc.

Raptors: Poeltl, starting shooting guard Gradey Dick and Mitchell quickly got into foul trouble as they tried to grind down the Sixers' offence. Toronto’s bench stepped up in their absence, outscoring Philly’s reserves 41-19.

Key moment

Barnes made a three-foot layup with 10:16 to go in the second quarter to give Toronto a 36-35 lead. It was the start of a 16-5 Raptors run in the period. Toronto held on to that lead for the rest of the game, which at times small as two points, but they never relinquished it again.

Key stat

Toronto‘s relatively undersized forwards looked ripe for the picking for Philadelphia’s six-foot-11 Drummond and six-foot-eight Kelly Oubre Jr. But Poeltl, Mogbo and six-foot-five forward Ochai Agbaji helped the Raptors get 56 points in the paint to the 76ers’ 30. It was a stark turnaround after Toronto managed only 38 points in the paint to Cleveland’s 68 as the Cavaliers routed the Raptors 136-106 on Wednesday.

Up next

Quickley will not travel to Minnesota for Toronto’s game against the Timberwolves on Saturday but Barrett will. Philadelphia visits the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2024.