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Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers will look to record consecutive wins when they take on the Toronto Raptors tonight (Friday, March 31). The Sixers snapped their three-game skid against the Dallas Mavericks with a 116-108 win.
Embiid had missed the 76ers' 116-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets due to a calf problem. The Cameroonian big played 33 minutes in his comeback against Dallas, tallying 25 points, nine rebounds and three assists, shooting 47.1%.
His absence against the Nuggets seemed precautionary. According to the NBA's official website, Embiid isn't on the 76ers' latest injury report for their game against the Raptors at home. His availability is crucial as the Raptors are among the most in-form teams in the NBA.
They have won six of their last eight games. The ninth-placed Raptors are fighting to maintain their position in the play-in bracket and make a push to move up in the standings to bolster their hopes of making the playoffs.
They will come out swinging, so the 76ers will need to be at full strength. Joel Embiid continues to play like an MVP every night, and his presence on both ends makes the Sixers the favorites to clinch the win over Toronto.
Toronto Raptors' pesky defense presents a good challenge for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers hope to enter the playoffs in good rhythm and shape. They also need some quality reps before the knockouts. The game against the Toronto Raptors is ideal in that regard. Toronto has been one of the most aggressive teams defensively in the league.
Based on their current situation, they will likely play with more intensity against the 76ers, especially Joel Embiid. The Sixers' offense will be tested. Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, who will probably be the primary defender against Embiid, revealed the team's strategy to guard the latter, saying (via Yahoo Sports):
"I mean, I'd say that every team has its different strategies in guarding it. I'd say we prefer to be on the aggressive side, try and get the ball out of his hands, try and let somebody else make a play.
"But yeah, I think it's just a matter of different mentality. Some teams are going to be like, take the less effective shot even though he's making it a very high percentage."
Embiid has been on another level this season. He leads the league in scoring for the second consecutive year, averaging 33.2 points per game, shooting on 54/34/86 splits. He has been able to prevail against most, if not all, of the league's top defensive units, so the Sixers may not be as worried about their best player.
However, they would still need the rest of the players to contribute and ease his workload. The 76ers' chances of winning the contest will increase if they force the Raptors' defense to spread out and not focus solely on limiting Joel Embiid.
