By the Associated Press
Pascal Siakam scored 25 points, Fred VanVleet added 24 and the Toronto Raptors held Joel Embiid scoreless in a 101-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam protects the ball from Philadelphia 76ers’ Al Horford during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who posted their 14th consecutive home victory over the 76ers.
OG Anunoby scored 12 points, Terence Davis had 11 and Norman Powell 10 as Toronto improved to 7-0 at home.
Josh Richardson scored 25 points, Tobias Harris had 18 and Mike Scott 12 for the 76ers, who have not won a regular- season game in Toronto in more than seven years.
Embiid shot 0 for 11, missing all four of his shots from 3-point range and going 0 for 3 at the free throw line. He finished with a game-high 13 rebounds.
Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons had 10 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds. Al Horford scored 11 points and added 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.
It was the first meeting between the teams since Kawhi Leonard’s dramatic buzzer beater that bounced off the rim four times before dropping, the winning basket in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs in May. Toronto went on to win its first NBA title, before Leonard left for the Los Angeles Clippers.
This time, the Raptors led 88-87 on a driving layup by rookie Terence Davis with 7:31 remaining in the fourth. Philadelphia’s Furkan Korkmaz hit a 3, Horford made a baseline jumper and Harris added a hook shot as the 76ers used a 7-0 run to build a 94-88 lead with 5:16 left to play.
Powell and VanVleet hit 3-pointers that cut the gap to two, 96-94, but Toronto missed three straight chances to tie it. Marc Gasol missed a pair from the line, a jump shot by Siakam missed the mark, and Harris blocked Anunoby’s fast-break drive after an Embiid turnover.
Siakam ended Toronto’s drought with a three-point play, giving the Raptors a one-point edge, 97-96, with 1:01 left.
Siakam forced a turnover on an entry pass from Simmons with just over 10 seconds remaining to preserve Toronto’s lead. VanVleet was fouled and made two shots, giving the Raptors a three-point cushion.
Harris and Simmons missed 3-pointers before Siakam finished it with a thunderous dunk.
For the first time in his career, Embiid didn’t score in the first half. He missed all four field goal attempts and came up empty on a pair of free throws.
Source: Manila Bulletin
Xtra Sports ph 