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The Philadelphia 76ers host the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday. Both teams are on a losing streak and will try to end their skids at the expense of the other. The 76ers are dealing with a host of injuries whereas the Raptors are struggling to find any rhythm.
Although this is a pedestrian regular-season matchup, there has been a lot of bad blood between the fans. It came into effect ever since the Toronto Raptors eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers three years ago. Kawhi Leonard's buzzer-beater still haunts many Philadelphia fans, so expect the crowd to be energetic.
Match Details
Fixture - Toronto Raptors vs Philadelphia 76ers | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time - Thursday, November 11th, 2021; 7:00 PM ET (Friday, November 12th; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Toronto Raptors Preview
After a slow start to their season, the Toronto Raptors went on a 5-game win streak but are now back on a losing skid. They have lost their last three games in a row, including a one-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. A positive take from their losses is that they aren't getting blown out and are fighting down the stretch. The Raptors have an average positive point differential of 2.9, ranked 9th in the league.
Pascal Siakam is back in the lineup and will likely take a few games to get back into rhythm. As reported by TSN Sports' Josh Lewenberg, Coach Nick Nurse has stated that Siakam will likely not play the second half of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers. It is because of the back-to-back schedule. Fred VanVleet spoke about Siakam, saying,
"I was just trying to reassure him & tell him to keep going until he figures it out. He's finding himself, finding his legs...He'll be OK. It's gonna take some time, obviously. We would all like it to be tonight or yesterday, but that's not how these things work."
Young players like OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Precious Achiuwa have also stepped up to the fore.
Key Player - Scottie Barnes
Toronto Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes has made a serious impression on the NBA and he is running away with the Rookie of the Year race so far. He has started every game he has played and is leading all rookies in points and rebounds. Barnes is averaging 16.6 points and 8.7 rebounds (team-high) per game. He is also a phenomenal defender and has stepped up against several great players so far.
Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup
G - Fred VanVleet | G - Gary Trent Jr. | F - OG Anunoby | F - Scottie Barnes | C - Pascal Siakam.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers have been bitten by the injury bug and are now going to plummet in the standings. They were first in the Eastern Conference until a few days ago but most of their starters are now sidelined. Joel Embiid has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols along with Tobias Harris and Isaiah Joe. Seth Curry and Matisse Thybulle are both questionable while Ben Simmons continues to miss games.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been shooting it well from the field. They are first in the league in FG%, 2nd in 3P% and TS% (true shooting) and 3rd in FT%. Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz and Tyrese Maxey have all stepped up in the starters' absence. Maxey is coming off a 31-point game against reigning champions Milwaukee Bucks. Moreover, Andre Drummond has proven to be a huge upgrade over Dwight Howard. He is coming off consecutive 20+-rebound nights.
Key Player - Seth Curry
Seth Curry has been balling them out ever since Simmons and Embiid missed games. He established himself as a legitimate scoring option during the playoffs last season and is currently averaging a career-high 16.8 points per game. Curry is often overshadowed by his superstar brother Stephen, but Seth is a sniper himself. He is currently averaging a ridiculous 48% from downtown, 8th-highest in the league.
Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup
G - Tyrese Maxey | G - Seth Curry | F - Furkan Kormaz | F - Paul Reed | C - Andre Drummond.
Raptors vs 76ers Match Prediction
The Toronto Raptors look like favorites to win this game against the Philadelphia 76ers because of the plethora of injuries for the latter. The 76ers don't have any of their starters available and Seth Curry is questionable so far.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors have a healthy squad visiting Pennsylvania and they are starting to pick up an offensive rhythm. Moreover, under coach Nick Nurse, the Raptors are fouth in the league in points allowed and the 76ers' bench unit will likely not be able to keep up.
Where to watch the Raptors vs 76ers game?
The marquee match-up between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors will be nationally televised on NBA TV and also broadcast locally on TSN and NBC Sports Philadelphia. The game can be live streamed with an NBA League Pass as well.
Moreover, fans can tune in to the radio at 97.5 The Fanatic and Sportsnet 590 to listen to the match's live commentary.
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