Tyrese Maxey poured in 31 points, Joel Embiid added 29, and the Philadelphia 76ers surged past the Toronto Raptors 130-120 on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center.
Trendon Watford delivered a career night for Philadelphia, recording a triple-double with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, helping the Sixers snap a four-game skid against Toronto dating back to last season.
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley each scored 22 points for the Raptors, while Brandon Ingram added 21. Toronto entered the game riding a four-game winning streak but struggled defensively in the second quarter on the second night of a back-to-back after beating Atlanta 109-97 on Friday.
After Toronto jumped out to a 43-33 lead after the first quarter, Philadelphia flipped the script, dominating the second period 35-20 to take control of the game.
The Raptors made one last push late, cutting the deficit to 119-116 on a Barrett 3-pointer with 3:25 remaining, but the Sixers responded with a decisive 6-0 run capped by Embiid’s putback off his own miss. Kelly Oubre Jr. and VJ Edgecombe also contributed key buckets down the stretch to secure the win.
The night carried extra significance for Philadelphia fans as the team celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 2000–01 Eastern Conference Championship team. Players wore throwback black jerseys, and the court featured retro colors and logos from the Allen Iverson era — a season that saw Iverson win MVP, Larry Brown earn Coach of the Year, Dikembe Mutombo claim Defensive Player of the Year, and Aaron McKie take Sixth Man of the Year honors.
Former Sixers guard Eric Snow was in attendance, and the team even brought back their early-2000s mascot — Hip Hop the rabbit — to mark the occasion.
Up Next:
-
Raptors: Travel to face the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
-
76ers: Host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.