76ers Highlights: Harris, Maxey Dominate in Win over Raptors

On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers welcomed the Toronto Raptors into the Wells Fargo Center, as they looked to build off of their emphatic win against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier on in the week.

Despite having fairly easy victories against the Raptors in their two previous meetings this season, on Friday, it didn't look too good for the Sixers from the start, as Toronto left the first quarter on top, 37-28.

Yet, in the second quarter, Philadelphia would find their footing as they regained the lead, and never really looked back on the match, taking down Toronto, 121-111, claiming the season series against their division rival.

A huge part of the Sixers' come back against the Raptors was Tobias Harris, who had his best performance of the season, scoring 33 points, which was his first 30+ point performance since February 2022.

While Harris may be known for his work in the post, he made his money against the Raptors from beyond the arch, draining a season-high five makes from down town.

that's 2️⃣1️⃣ points for 1️⃣2️⃣ !! pic.twitter.com/TtQFKlaLN3
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 23, 2023

Harris wasn't the only one on fire against Toronto as Joel Embiid did his thing, which wasn't always a guarantee given his slow start to the game, matched with his rolled ankle, which caused the reigning MVP to hobble at times.

Despite this, Embiid ignited in the third quarter, scoring 17 points, while also being quite the playmaker as he dished out nine assists throughout the match.

Just Joel doing Joel things 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/PWJcomcFNy
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) December 23, 2023

The Cameroonian superstar's impact wasn't just felt on the offensive end, as he blocked four shots, and securing nine defensive boards for his team.

Tyrese Maxey also flourished against the Raptors, ending the game with 33 points, making it his second straight night with 30+ points.

The 23-year-old made his presence felt from downtown, finding the bottom of the basket from distance four times, while also dishing out ten assists.

BACK TO BACK FOR MAX3Y! pic.twitter.com/kb8yN4Z87q
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 23, 2023

With Mo Bamba out, Paul Reed was Nick Nurse's first option to replace Embiid throughout the match, receiving 12 minutes of playing time, scoring four points and blocking one shot.

Following their win on Friday night, the Sixers will get ready for some Christmas day basketball as they travel to South Beach where they are set to take on Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.