Raptors lose in Sullinger’s debut
PHILADELPHIA 94 TORONTO 89
• In another in a series of unremarkable mid-season games for the Raptors, this one had a little something extra.
That it came in a bit of a surprising 94- 89 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers was really beside the point.
First was the news that Jared Sullinger, the off-season free agent signing that had yet to play a game of consequence for his new team, would be making his regular season debut.
The plan may have been to bring Sullinger back Friday in Charlotte but with Lucas Nogueira requiring 24 hours off after going through the concussion protocol and the team already down Patrick Patterson, it made sense to move his debut up. Sullinger was certainly game. “I’m happy, I’m happy,” Sullinger said about an hour before tipoff. “Finally, get it out of the way. Just ready to try and make an impact on this basketball team some way, some how.”
Sullinger had surgery on his left foot after playing a game with the Raptors to begin the pre- season. He’s been with the Raptors every step of the way since, so familiarizing himself with the playbook isn’t much of a concern — but conditioning certainly is.
“Oh for sure,” Sullinger said. “That is always the biggest thing, especially when you don’t play for three months. Everybody is kind of in tip-top shape just because everyone knows their minutes and what they need to do. I just have no idea what is going to happen next so you just got to be ready.”
True to his word, Sullinger was ready when his name was called, coming in with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter. He finished the frame giving the Raptors six points, three rebounds and a spark they needed.
He played 13 minutes total and finished with eight points and three rebounds.
The scary part of the evening came in the third quarter when DeMarre Carroll, a player who has had more than his fair share of time on the injured list in his Raptors tenure, had to be helped to the locker-room after he dove headfirst into teammate Pascal Siakam’s knee going for a loose ball. Carroll remained down on the court for a long stretch before he walked rather shakily to the locker- room with help from the Raptors’ training staff.
The angst eased a little after Carroll was seen by the 76ers doctors on site and passed their tests. The issue was deemed a sore neck, which is a heck of a lot less serious than it first looked.
Those two events overshadowed the third rarity, a Toronto loss due to a very solid effort by the 76ers, who are no longer a team lacking a defensive identity.
The Raptors found that out in a hurry as this freshly minted defensive juggernaut made every trip into the paint hard for the visitors and contested every long range shot they attempted.
Offensively they got contributions from all corners of the lineup, beginning with Ersan Ilyasova, moving on to Joel Embiid and then a stellar fourth quarter from Dario Saric, who was doing it at both ends, stuffing Sullinger one second and draining a contested three the next trip down the floor.
Saric finished with a modest eight points and nine boards but his play in the fourth quarter was pivotal.
Embiid, who hears chants of “Trust the Process” every time he goes to the line and often during timeouts, was a question to even play the game after flu- like symptoms kept him out of the shootaround.
Embiid t hen went out and played 27 minutes, putting up 24 points and adding nine boards.
For the Raptors it was a DeRozan/ Lowry night as DeMar again struggled early but came on like gangbusters late to finish with 25 points and six assists.
Lowry, who was in foul trouble a lot of the night, eventually fouling out in the final minute, finished with 24 points.
It was the first Toronto loss against the Sixers in 15 games, the 14-game winning streak the longest active one Toronto owned.
For the Sixers, it was their seventh win in the past nine games.
The 89 points by the Raptors was the second lowest output of the year to only the 82 they scored in San Antonio.