Takeaways From Raptors Hard-Fought Victory Over 76ers

The Toronto Raptors snuck out with a hard-fought victory over the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to a big performance from Scottie Barnes and a trio of young rookies

Oct 25, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry (7) dribbles the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick (1) defends in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Toronto Raptors 115, Philadelphia 76ers 107

Battling in the Fourth

This is what the Raptors wanted to be.

It's not going to be pretty most nights, frankly, it might even be ugly, but if Toronto can muck it up and hang around, this team should be able to eke out a few victories this season. It's what they did Friday against a 76ers team playing without Joel Embiid and Paul George who never seemed to find a groove.

"I thought that tonight we out-teamed them," Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said. "That was one really thing that I was proud of, with all the mistakes that we made with 26 turnovers and a bunch of fouls and whatnot, still, we were able to compete at a high level."

So who did find a groove?

Jamison Battle.

The undrafted rookie connected on a pair of crucial three-pointers and then converted a three-point play the old-fashioned way, scoring nine straight points to give Toronto a 19-point lead in the middle of the fourth from which the Raptors never looked back.

"Felt good just to know I can contribute to a team winning," said Battle whose contract was converted to a two-way deal following the preseason. "That's that's all I really care about, is just coming out here and doing what I can to help."

It was exactly the kind of outburst the Raptors needed from their sharpshooting wing who fouled out shortly thereafter and walked off the court to a standing ovation from a group of Raptors faithful.

"What he's learning nowadays is that he belongs to this level, that he belongs to NBA," Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said. "We're really proud of him. He's going to just continue getting better."

Finding Mogbo

OK, so Bruno Fernando can’t compete.

Toronto didn’t quite learn its lesson in Game 1 but after another rough start Friday, the Raptors pivoted, turning to rookie second-round pick Jonathan Mogbo to fill the backup center spot as an undersized big man.

Was it all beautiful?

No, not particularly. Mogbo is still a little clunky and committed his fair share of rookie mistakes in his first extended look of meaningful minutes. But, by and large, it was promising.

He showed off his playmaking skills as a big man and looks comfortable making dump-off passes in tight spaces. He nearly threw down a ferocious one-handed slam but was fouled by Kyle Lowry and had the ball ricochet off the back of the rim. In nearly 24 minutes Friday, Mogbo stuffed the score sheet with 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two steals.

"He’s just playing with force," Rajaković said. "When he’s playing with a lot of motor he really helps the team. He was doing a good job being disruptive and his length is bothering whoever he is guarding."

Defensively, Mogbo competes. He swatted away a Tyrese Maxey three-point attempt, snuffing out an isolation attempt from the 76ers’ lightning-quick point guard, and twice blocked Kelly Oubre Jr in the first half.

Finding out what guys like Mogbo can be is what this year should be about.

“It’s important for us as an organization at the start of our rebuild that we can take a look at different guys,” said Rajaković who played 12 of his 13 healthy players in the first half alone. “Even when we are going to complete healthy, I’m going to be searching for opportunities to look at different lineups, different guys. We got to find out what we have and develop what we have.”

With Kelly Olynyk out, it appears Toronto may have found its part-time answer to its backup big man spot.

Scottie Responds

So, it’s not time to panic.

Scottie Barnes remains very good despite what Game 1 may have suggested. The Raptors all-star came out Friday with the kind of aggressiveness that was lacking for so much of Wednesday’s opener.

With Embiid and George both sidelined, the 76ers didn’t have a great answer to Barnes in the paint. He pushed the pace in transition for the opening points of the night and then backed down Caleb Martin, using his size to force the 76ers to bring help before firing a kick-out pass to Davion Mitchell for three. In the third, he targeted Maxey, bullying Philadelphia's thin point guard into the paint for an easy layup.

But Barnes didn’t force it the way he had at times against Cleveland.

He ran an inverse pick-and-pop with Jamal Shead who screened for Barnes before popping behind the three-point line. When two 76ers defenders slid over to Barnes, the Raptors wing pivoted and found Shead open for three.

Barnes put the exclamation mark on Friday's victory, beating Martin off the dribble and powering through contact from Maxey for the two-handed slam to put the Raptors up 11 with just over a minute to go. He finished the night with a team-high 27 points on efficient 8-for-11 shooting and earned the team's victory chain after Toronto's first win of the season.

Agbaji Improvement

There was a little while this summer when it seemed like Ochai Agbaji simply wasn’t going to make it in Toronto.

He was largely ineffective late last season and struggled to make an impact as a veteran Summer League player. To put it mildly, it looked bleak.

But Agbaji has been impressive to start this season. He had 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting and turned in the kind of showing the Raptors need from him this season.

No, he’s not converting three-pointers the way Toronto would eventually like him to, but his offense is proving more well-rounded than it initially appeared last year. He’s quick up the court in transition, he makes smart cuts, and he’s pretty good moving without the ball for a below-average shooter.

"With him is about that, how is he gonna contribute defensively, how he's gonna be able to run in transition and score, how he's gonna find his opportunities with cuts," Rajaković said. "Threes and all that he's working really hard, and then he's gonna make those shots, I have no doubt, but those are non-negotiables that he needs to bring every single night."

Considering how good he is defensively, Agbaji is proving to be a pretty useful role player and someone who should fit nicely on Toronto's bench when RJ Barrett gets back healthy again.

Locked in the Shead

Someone is going to have to come up with the Lugentz Dort so-called "Dorture chamber" equivalent for Jamal Shead because the Raptors' rookie point guard is going to be a pest for opposing guards throughout his career.

Maxey got a look at that Friday night as Toronto turned to Shead for most of the night with Quickley sidelined and Davion Mitchell in foul trouble.

The 76ers had a tough time shaking Shead off their All-Star guard who forced Maxey into some tough looks. It wasn't particularly pretty for Shead at the other end, but he and the Raptors held Maxey to 6-for-23 shooting on Friday and that's a job well done.

Up Next: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Raptors will have to rest up quickly as they head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Saturday night. Toronto will again be without Quickley.