The 76ers protected their home court in a big way Thursday.
Philadelphia cruised to a 116-95 win over the Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center in Game 3 of their second-round series. The 76ers entered halftime with a double-digit lead, maintained control in the third quarter and pulled away in the final period.
The victory gave the 76ers a 2-1 lead in the matchup.
Toronto had no answers to slow down Philadelphia’s star-powered offense. The 76ers shot 51.2 percent from the field and knocked down 10 of their 23 3-point attempts.
The game was physical and both teams were involved in controversial plays. Philadelphia star Ben Simmons appeared to elbow Toronto guard Kyle Lowry below the belt in the first half.
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam then stuck out his leg and tripped Philadelphia center Joel Embiid in the fourth quarter.
Embiid was a force on both ends of the floor for Philadelphia. He tallied 33 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks while Jimmy Butler chipped in 22 points.
EMBIID BLOCK ➡️ TOBIAS TRIPLE!
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2019
7 early PTS for Joel on @ESPNNBA#PhilaUnite #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/lIoFOnjHi6
"I go to defense," 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters after the game about Embiid. "That’s what interests me the most to date with this series. When we talk about whatever we’re going to talk about, my mind goes straight there. He is our crown jewel defensively, and I suppose offensively, too. But certainly defensively. And his rim protection and blocking shot ability tonight stood out as much to me as anything in an incredible performance."
In total, six Philadelphia players finished in double-figures.
Despite the loss, Kawhi Leonard continued to impress and kept the Raptors in the game for long stretches, registering 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting. Siakam also added 20 points in the losing effort.
The 76ers and Raptors will meet up again in Philadelphia on Sunday in Game 4. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.