Even Pascal Siakam's Heroics Can't Stop the Losing as Raptors Fall Again to 76ers
Pascal Siakam deserved better.
It was clear Sunday he'd grown sick of the losing. "We need to get a win," he said as the losing streak for the Toronto Raptors grew to five. For 47 minutes Monday night, on the second night of a back-to-back, the Raptors' superstar did everything he could to will his team to a victory. He looked every bit of the Top-5 player he aspired to be this season. And, yet, it wasn't enough.
At this point, nothing can stop Toronto's skid. Missed shots by Fred VanVleet in overtime forced Siakam to try to play hero, but his heavily-contested three-pointer wasn't close. Instead, the losing streak grew to six with a 104-101 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nearly every time Toronto called on Siakam for a big play, the 28-year-old stepped up. He couldn't even sub out for his regular third-quarter rest without needing to be rushed over back to the scorer's table for the final seven seconds of the quarter. Having rested for less than 90 seconds, Toronto needed him again, drawing up an isolation possession for the All-NBA forward who delivered with a pull-up three-pointer that he swished easily.
A quarter later, he delivered again. First going at Joel Embiid and drawing a foul to pull Toronto to within two late in the fourth. When James Harden missed the would-be game-winner on the ensuing possession, Siakam did it again. He went right at P.J. Tucker, blowing by the aging forward and kissing a scoop shot off the glass to tie things up.
Want to guess who locked down Embiid to force overtime when the 76ers' superstar took the final shot of regulation? Yup. Siakam was there too, forcing an ill-fated heavily contested jumper from the MVP candidate.
In overtime, the task was just too much. Toronto was 1-for-9 and Siakam couldn't quite push the Raptors over the edge. Contested shots against Tucker capped his incredible night at 38 points and 15 rebounds, unable to score in overtime.
The problem, though, was everyone else. Scottie Barnes had a mere six points and was benched for 10 minutes in the second half due to a lackluster game at both ends of the court. O.G. Anunoby was OK in his return from injury, but 13 points from your second-highest scorer isn't nearly enough. VanVleet, meanwhile, fell back into his shooting funk, shooting 2-for-11 from behind the arc and missing three pivotal wide-open three-pointers in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Now reality is sinking in. Toronto has come close plenty of times lately. The loss to Brooklyn could have gone either way, same with the Sacramento Kings game. But the losing won't stop and at 13-18, changes are needed one way or another.
Koloko Sits vs. Embiid
For the first time this season, Christian Koloko received a DNP — Coach's Decision. He'd played in all 30 games this season before being benched against the 76ers despite Philadelphia's massive size advantage.
It's no slight for Koloko that he's not ready to take on the Embiid matchup. The No. 33 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has struggled mightily over the past month and appears better suited for G League minutes right now than an NBA rotation spot.
While Juancho Hernangomez started the game, it was Khem Birch, Chris Boucher, and Thad Young who did the bulk of the work against Embiid in the second half. They did an admirable job, but at almost 6-foot-9 a piece, they're just not suited for the matchup. Embiid, meanwhile, had 28 points on 6-for-16 shooting, a respectable night for Toronto.
Up Next: New York Knicks
The holiday road trip will continue Wednesday night with a stop in New York to take on the Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET.
