Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Raptors Face Major Questions as Scottie Barnes Leaves Early and Toronto Drops an Ugly Game 1
It was Game 1, what did you expect?
This is the Toronto Raptors we're talking about. This is a team cursed in Game 1s, having won just five of their last 21 Game 1s and two of their last 12 playoff openers. It should come as no surprise that this young Raptors team couldn't get things started in Game 1 against a veteran Philadelphia 76ers. Basically, everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Toronto who fell 131-111 Saturday night and now have to regroup ahead of a pivotal Game 2 with major injury concerns looming.
76ers Answer Every Question
Is James Harden healthy?
Mostly, at least in Game 1. The 76ers' star guard picked apart Toronto's defense in the pick-and-roll and while it wasn't the most efficient outing, shooting only 6-for-17 from the floor, he nailed four three-pointers including one in transition, and tallied 22 points and 17 assists in 40 minutes.
"I thought he controlled the game. I thought when he needed to go in there and knock people over and lay it in, he did. When he needed to step back and make a three, he did," said Raptors coach Nick Nurse. "He got the ball where he wanted it to go. He’d call a set, they'd get it to where they wanted it, and I thought he ran the show really well tonight."
Could the Raptors stop Joel Embiid without fouling?
No. All that talk about getting early positioning against the 76ers' big man was of no use in the opener. Embiid got deep post position all night, even beating up on Toronto's best interior defender Precious Achiuwa. He got to the line 11 times, finishing the night with 19 points on 5-for-15 shooting, and eventually forced Fred VanVleet and Chris Boucher to foul out.
"We’ve got to believe that if we’re legal defensively that they're going to call those," said a frustrated Nurse post-game. "Like we had a couple of times where we beat him to the spot and he bulled us right over and they just let him lay it in. I don't care if you're 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, if you beat him to the spot and he runs over, it's a foul. I thought he threw three or four elbows to the face, he got called for one. OK. I mean, we're gonna stand in there. We just need, if we’re legal defensively, then we’ve got to have ‘em called or we don't have a chance, period."
Would Tyrese Maxey step up in the playoffs?
YES. The Kentucky sophomore was always going to be the X-factor for the 76ers in this series. Toronto's defense is all about stopping the superstars and sending pressure at Embiid and Harden, and that usually means someone else is going to have to step up against the Raptors. On Saturday, Maxey was everything the Raptors feared he would be. He was a step too quick for VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. and took advantage whenever Toronto left him open or closed out too aggressively, finishing the night with 38 points on 14-for-21 shooting.
"I think he found the cracks in the defense and our game plan. Obviously, we loaded up a ton on Joel and loaded up a ton on James, and he was able to find success in the cracks and the creases," VanVleet said. "Just have to guard him better and give him a little bit more attention. He's a heck of a player."
Barnes Steps up to Playoff Challenge but Leaves Early
Even the playoffs couldn't faze Scottie Barnes.
Maybe it shouldn't come as such a surprise considering the 20-year-old rookie answered every possible question there was in the regular season. And yet, in his first career playoff game, there was no let-up. He stepped up right from the jump, taking on Harden on defense and leading the Raptors through a disappointing first half. Even with everyone else struggling to create offense, Barnes was a bright spot for Toronto early.
He grabbed one of Toronto's two first-half offensive rebounds and threw a kick-out pass to Fred VanVleet to open the scoring. Then he got to work himself, getting into the 76ers' defense when they overhelped on Toronto's primary scorers.
"I thought he was playing good," Nurse said. "I thought he looked like he belonged out there. For a young rookie in his first playoff game on the road against a really good team, I thought he looked like he belonged out there."
Unfortunately for Toronto, his 15-point, 10-assist, and eight-rebound night came to a concerning end when he rolled his left ankle early in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off the court by Raptors assistant coach Jamaal Magloire. He did not return.
X-rays after the game came back negative on Barnes' ankle, though he'll undergo further imaging on the foot on Sunday, Nurse said.
Everything Goes Wrong Early
Toronto's path to victory in this series was pretty simple. The Raptors had to play Raptors basketball and do everything they did all season.
- Win on the offensive glass
- Force turnovers
- Win the possession battle
- Outscore the 76ers when Embiid sits
In the first half, none of that went right. The Raptors got beat 8-2 on the offensive glass, didn't force a single turnover, were outshot 48 to 38, and lost the Embiid-less minutes by two points.
"I think we just weren't ourselves in a lot of areas," said VanVleet. "I think a lot of what we do is predicated on our aggressiveness and our length and making plays on the ball, causing turnovers, blocking shots. And I think whether that was jitters from some of the newer guys or the whistle or whatever the case may be were just a little step behind, they were more physical, they won the physicality battle."
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Toronto quickly found itself down 21 points in the first half and never recovered.
"I think we could have been way more physical from the beginning," said Pascal Siakam who led all Raptors with 24 points. "This is playoff time, and we've got to be way more physical. Like I said, they came in early and they did what they were supposed to do. They were playing hard, and they were hitting us. And we just didn't have the same intensity as they had. I think that, yeah, we've got to change that."
Trent Loses His Rhythm
A week off certainly didn't do Gary Trent Jr. any favors Saturday night. He'd made it very clear he didn't want to rest down the stretch, afraid he might lose his rhythm. Well, even without resting, whatever momentum he had coming into the playoffs quickly disappeared.
He opened the game 0-for-5 from the floor and got called for an offensive foul kicking out his feet on one first-half three-pointer. It wasn't until midway through the third quarter that he eventually nailed a three from the left corner.
Injury Report
- Thad Young suffered a sprained left thumb trying to fight for a loose ball with Harden. He left the game at halftime and did not return. He too returned negative X-rays and will have further imaging run on the thumb.
- Khem Birch was evaluated for a concussion after getting hit in the face by Embiid but was eventually cleared to return
- Barnes went for further testing after the game and was quickly ruled out for the game in the fourth quarter.
Up Next: Game 2 vs. 76ers
The Raptors will try to eke out a split in Philadelphia on Monday night in Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. on TSN and the FAN 590
