Joel Embiid, Sixers Complete Second-Half Comeback vs. Raptors on Tuesday

The Sixers got off to a slow start on Tuesday night but managed to come out on top with a victory over the Raptors.

After a rough Sunday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Tuesday night to take on the Toronto Raptors. Despite Toronto being winless through two games this year, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers knew not to take them lightly as he understands they can turn their rough start around at any moment.

The Sixers resembled the same team that just lost to Cleveland by double digits through the first few quarters. But as we've learned this year, the Sixers shouldn't be ruled out after a slow start as they can turn games around in the second half just as quickly as they fall behind early on.

In the first quarter, Philly was outscored 28-17 as they failed to drain shots on the offensive end of the floor consistently. Although they shot much better in the second quarter, the Sixers' first-half offense had a lot of work to do in the second half if they planned to climb back and close out the game with a victory.

After the first half, the 76ers shot just 28-percent from the field -- and 22-percent from three. Going into the third quarter, the Raptors had a 56-48 lead. As Philly began to feel a sense of urgency, the Sixers ended up outscoring Toronto in the third quarter, heading into the final period with the game tied at 76.

For a moment, it seemed the 76ers might've had to take on the remainder of the game without their three-time All-Star Joel Embiid as he left the court with a lower-body injury, but the big man managed to make it back out on the floor and helped the 76ers compete for the remainder of the game.

As expected, the game remained tight in the final period. Fortunately for Philly, they managed to get a lead on the Raptors thanks to Embiid and Tobias Harris's strong performances. Embiid, who has once again dominated for the 76ers so far this season, continued to put the team on his back Tuesday night.

The 26-year-old center wrapped up the night with a game-high of 29 points in 37 minutes. Meanwhile, Harris was right behind him as he shot 11-for-20 from the field, totaling for 26 points in 37 minutes. 

Although the 76ers still had their fair share of struggles on Tuesday, they managed to pull away with a 100-93 victory, sending the Raptors home with an 0-3 record. Philly, on the other hand, advances to 3-1 on the year so far. 


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA