Raptors Cage

Post Game Report Card: Raptors win a high scoring game at home against the lowly 76ers

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Photo: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

The Toronto Raptors didn’t dominate the Philadelphia 76ers, but they got the win regardless by a 125-114 margin. Jonas Valanciunas posted a career high 26 points with 12 rebounds in his first game since he was charged with a DUI. Kyle Lowry dropped 29 points and 8 assists in his first game back from injury. With the win and the Brooklyn Nets losing tonight, the Raptors magic number to clinch the division is now down to one.

Offense: A+

The Raptors shot 50% from the field and 48% from three-point range, knocking down 12 for the game. The team is now 22-8 when hitting 10 or more threes in a game. The Raptors got to the line with ease, attempting 37 shots from the charity stripe and making 31 of them. All starters were in double figures, including 17 points from Patrick Patterson. This was Patterson’s strongest game since he returned from injury. Terrence Ross was also able to chip in with 11 points, including this ridiculous make from the land beyond. Watching this game was like watching an And1 game, as the Raptors seemingly scored whenever they desired.

Defense: F

Too bad the defense wasn’t as strong against one of the worse teams in the league. The 76ers shot nearly 52% from the field, with Henry Sims leading the charge for his team with 22 points and eight rebounds. Rookie of the Year candidate Michael Carter-Williams had a near triple-double with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. The Sixers saw too many open looks, and were able to drive to the rim with ease. The Raptors offense exploded, but there needs to be more urgency throughout the course of the game on the defensive end against a beatable team. In short, the defense made it a lot closer than it should’ve been.

Rebounding: B+

The numbers are a little skewed because the Sixers had three offensive boards when the game was already decided, but the Raptors were solid on the glass. Valanciunas led the team with 12 rebounds, and the team had 10 offensive rebounds for the game.

Game Ball: Jonas Valanciunas

Valanciunas has taken a lot of flak for his DUI charge on Monday, and deservedly so. It was simply an irresponsible decision, with the added circumstance of it being poorly timed as his team gears up for a playoff run. Valanciunas responded well to this unfortunate event with his play on the court. He was aggressive on the offensive end and on the glass, and made a couple of very well-positioned blocks. This was his best game of the season. Valanciunas has apologized to his team and demonstrated that it won’t be a distraction for the team on the court. Hopefully the incident won’t be repeated, and we can continue to enjoy the exciting development of the 21 year old center.

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