Toronto Raptors end two-game skid with a win over Philadelphia 76ers
The Toronto Raptors bounced back from two-straight lacklustre performances as they hammered out an emphatic 94-86 victory over the struggling Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday 17 November at
the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Italian big man Andrea Bargnani had 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting, Sonny Weems chipped in a career-high 25 points, while Reggie Evans only had five points, but he grabbed a game-high 14
rebounds for the Raptors, who absorbed a humbling defeat against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday 16 November.
“I didn't think we had respect for the game against Washington,” said Evans. “A lot of peers paved the way for us in this league. We got an F grade on Tuesday night. I think we got a much
higher grade here and played with the type of energy we need to be successful.”
Bargnani erupted for 18 points in the first half, but the Raptors only had a one-point lead, 47-46, at the half, and the two teams traded leads in the second half. With the game tied at 85
with 3:20 left to play, the Raptors unleashed a 9-1 rally to escape with the hard-earned victory.
“This was a big confidence boost for us,” said Raptors point guard Jose Calderon, who finished with 12 points and eight assists. “The defensive intensity was there at the end. We were much
more aggressive in this game than we were against Washington. It was as if we were a different team. It was nice to see us bounce back like that.”
Elton Brand had another outstanding game as he finished the game with 27 points on 9-for-19 shooting from the floor to go with eight rebounds, while Jrue Holiday added 17 points and seven
assists for Philadelphia.
The 2010 second-overall pick Evan Turner recorded his second double-double of the season with his 11 points and career-high 12 rebounds, but their gallant efforts were not enough to lift
Philadelphia, who have now dropped their fifth-straight game.
“We've got to get it together,” said Turner, who also had four assists and two steals. “Sometimes you try to trust each other, but sometimes you just have to play without thinking.”
Philadelphia played without Andre Iguodala, who is still struggling to recover from an Achilles’’ tendon injury that also caused him to miss their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on
Tuesday 16 November. They will try to end their two-game slide when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday 19 November.
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