Game Day: Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers

WELLS FARGO CENTER

TIPOFF: 7:30 p.m. TV: TSN RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The Fan

PROBABLE STARTERS

Toronto: Fred VanVleet, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Greg Monroe. Philadelphia: Ben Simmons, J.J. Redick, Jimmy Butler, Wilson Chandler, Joel Embiid.

KEY MATCHUP

VanVleet/Simmons Simmons posted his second triple-double in his last three games in a win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday. He has averaged a relatively quiet 9.5 points in two games against Toronto this season, but helped control those games with nine rebounds and 10.5 assists a night. It will be in part up to VanVleet to contain Simmons. The 24-year-old Toronto Raptor has stepped up in the wake of an injury to Kyle Lowry and came up big for the Raptors midweek, with a pair of fourthquarter threes that helped Toronto complete a comeback win over the Indiana Pacers.

NEED TO KNOW

J.J. Redick hit the 10,000 career-point mark with a 14-point performance against the Knicks. He is averaging 19 points, two rebounds and 3.5 assists against the Raptors this year … Philadelphia has struggled slightly, going 4-3, since the Raptors snapped their four-game win streak with a win at Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 5 … On Thursday, Raptors coach

Nick Nurse said Lowry (thigh) “probably” wouldn’t be ready to play this weekend … The Raptors are 2-0 against the 76ers this year; the two teams don’t meet again until early February for their final head-to-head of the season.

UP NEXT

A Boxing Day visit to the Miami Heat on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.