The 76ers earned a 112-97 win over the Raptors in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead in the opening round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
For Philadelphia, it was Joel Embiid that led the way with 31 points and 11 rebounds while Tyrese Maxey again stepped up, making timely plays to finish with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting. James Harden was quiet but finished with 14 points (on 3-of-9 shooting), six rebounds and six assists.
James to Jo for the OOP! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WqQGxSdWv0
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 19, 2022
Toronto got out to a fast start but it couldn't sustain the effort. The team cooled off considerably after the first quarter and clearly felt the absence of Scottie Barnes. OG Anunoby led the way for the Raptors with 26 points, a new playoff career-high.
Here are some takeaways from the buzzer.
1. Joel Embiid dominates, again
Embiid did MVP-like things again in Game 2.
It was evident that it would be Embiid's night early on, as he scored 19 points in the first quarter alone. Embiid made a living at the line early on in Game 2, attempting 12 free throws in the first frame.
Embiid's 31 points came on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 12-of-14 shooting from the line. While multiple Raptors converged on Embiid to make life difficult, he was rarely fazed, as he drew fouls or found ways to score despite aggressive coverages.
He even drained a turnaround trey.
big fella does it all. 👌 pic.twitter.com/cO1tOWKeqi
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 19, 2022
2. Raptors' injury report
Toronto, which is no stranger to injury, was forced to play without rookie sensation Scottie Barnes in Game 2.
Fortunately for the Raptors, the inactive list was limited to Barnes, as Gary Trent Jr. and Thaddeus Young were upgraded from doubtful to available for Monday night.
3. Philly stays hot, Toronto goes cold
After the first quarter, the Raptors held a 33-32 lead. The team was 5-of-9 from 3-point range field and Fred VanVleet had 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting. The Sixers, who had a solid offensive first quarter of their own, were shooting 53.3 percent from the field.
The trend continued for Philadelphia but it did not for Toronto.
The Raptors shot 6-of-23 (26.1 percent) from 3 for the final three quarters and VanVleet managed just five more points in the game, finishing with 20 points on 7-of-23 (30.4 percent) shooting from the field.
The 76ers, on the other hand, shot 36-of-69 (52.2 percent) from the field in the game and a tidy 14-of-30 (46.7 percent) from 3. Make that two offensive clinics for the Sixers.
4. Trent exits early
He tried to fight to play through a non-COVID illness, but ultimately wasn't himself. In the third quarter, the Raptors ruled Trent out for the remainder of the game due to his feeling under the weather.
Trent finished scoreless with four fouls in just under 10 minutes of action.
5. Down, but not out?
The Sixers' 2-0 series lead may be daunting but it does not necessarily spell doom for the Raptors.
In NBA history, 92.8 percent of the teams that win their first two home games advance to win the series, but the Raptors are in that 7.2 percent, coming from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Bucks in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.
It's the best of seven, not first to two.
6. What's next?
On Wednesday, the series shifts back to Toronto, where Philadelphia has lost 19 of the last 21 meetings with the Raptors (postseason included).
With the home crowd on their side, the Raptors have an opportunity to get back.
The game is set for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 20. Catch you then.
