76ers vs Raptors: Embiid Shakes Off Knee Scare, Sixers Win 123-112
Joel Embiid left in the first quarter after a knee-to-knee hit, came back to score 20, and Philadelphia beat Toronto without LeBron James.
For a few minutes on Thursday night, Philadelphia held its breath. Joel Embiid went down in the first quarter of 76ers vs Raptors, grabbed his right knee and limped to the locker room.
Then he came back. Embiid finished with 20 points, Tyrese Maxey scored 27, and the Sixers beat Toronto 123-112 without LeBron James, the AP reported. Philadelphia is now 10-3, second in the Atlantic Division.
| Final | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raptors | 33 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 112 |
| 76ers | 24 | 36 | 36 | 27 | 123 |
Source: ESPN box score.
Joel Embiid’s knee scare: what happened
Embiid bumped knees with a Raptors guard while setting a screen early in the first quarter and went down hard. The medical staff checked him on the floor before he walked off under his own power, CBS Sports reported.
He was back on the court with 5:26 left in the first quarter, to cheers from the home crowd, NBC Sports Philadelphia reported. Maxey said he wasn’t too worried because it was a knee-to-knee hit, not a twist.
Context matters here. Embiid came into the night listed as questionable with right foot plantar fascia management. He was cleared about half an hour before tipoff.
Nick Nurse liked what he saw
The more encouraging part came after the scare. Coach Nick Nurse said Embiid’s movement was the best sign of the night. “It’s nice to see the movement spark come back,” Nurse said, via PHLY Sports’ Derek Bodner.
Embiid shot 7 of 17, 0 of 3 from deep, and 6 of 7 at the line in 28 minutes. Not a vintage line. But he attacked Jakob Poeltl in the post and got to his midrange spots. That was missing in Tuesday’s 2-of-9 night against Boston, when Paul George dropped 36 on the Sixers.
How the Sixers won without LeBron
James sat with low back and sciatica management. Philadelphia still got six players into double figures:
- Tyrese Maxey: 27 points, 8 assists, 10 of 12 at the line
- Joel Embiid: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
- Jaylen Brown: 18 points, 6 rebounds
- Anfernee Simons: 17 points off the bench
- VJ Edgecombe: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 11 points off the bench
It didn’t start well. Toronto jumped out to a 32-16 lead and won the first quarter 33-24. The Sixers took the second 36-27 to tie it at 60 by halftime. Then they won the third 36-27 and never gave the lead back.
Philadelphia shot 52% from the field and 43% from three. Elsewhere on Thursday, Minnesota won Mavericks vs Timberwolves in a 133-94 rout.
Raptors keep fighting short-handed
Toronto deserves credit. RJ Barrett scored 31 on 13-of-20 shooting and Immanuel Quickley added 26. The Raptors played without Kawhi Leonard (knee) for a 10th straight game and Scottie Barnes (groin) for a fourth.
Still, they have lost four of five and sit at 5-7. That slide started before this game. Earlier this week they blew a big lead in a 22-point comeback loss to the Celtics.
Next for the 76ers: a back-to-back test
The schedule now tests how the Sixers manage their stars:
- Sunday: vs. Indiana Pacers, 1 p.m. ET
- Monday: at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Sixers have sat stars on back-to-backs this season. Their full starting lineup has played in nine games so far, missing only scheduled back-to-backs before James sat Thursday, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Watch Friday’s and Saturday’s injury reports for Embiid and James. If the knee stays quiet, the bigger question is which game each one sits.
