Too early to hold anything back, Sixers rock Raptors
PHILADELPHIA » There is the chance, if not the likelihood, that the 76ers and Raptors will collide in the NBA postseason.
So when does the intrigue begin? When does the gamesmanship start? And how important is it in December for the coaches to camouflage what they might have plotted for more meaningful games five months away?
“This is probably a little early to hold back things,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said Sunday before the Raptors’ first visit to the Wells Fargo Center since the last postseason. “There’s a long way to go before you get to where the playoffs are. I think both teams have a bunch of things that they use, scheme-wise, against each other because of the frequency of play. And a lot of those things are probably on the table. You have them there.
“I don’t think we’re not going to use some stuff that we think is going to work, hoping they will forget about it later on. We have some things we are trying to do and will probably do it and they will run their course. Or maybe you put them away and they don’t become part of the toolbox later.”
The Sixers would show enough to win, 110-94, and move past the Raptors into second place in the Atlantic Division. They played some big lineups, some small lineups and stuck to their defensive game plan well enough to lead at one point by 21 points.
A sloppy fourth-quarter, particularly the final three minutes, made the final score deceiving. Brett Brown, though, will hope to benefit from that late meltdown.
“I try to learn as much as I can, rather than hold stuff back,” the Sixers’ coach said. “You do learn a lot. And the regular season is entirely different than the playoffs. When you play somebody, like we did, seven times, there are no secrets by the seventh game. In general, my belief is for the very, very large most part, you play basketball. You learn. And you make adjustments from the last game to this game. It’s not like I am holding something so I can do something special in May.”
The Sixers and Raptors have split their first two regular-season games. Sunday, there was a scent of the intensity that characterized the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring.
“There’s a rivalry here, especially with the classic series we had here a year ago,” Nurse said. “I think we are constantly evaluating how they look, and I think they are probably doing the same. What kind of things can we take into the future if we possibly play each other?
“I think there chance is there that we will play in the playoffs. It’s not guaranteed for sure, but we could have to go through each other. And I think any time that’s the case, the games have a little more special reason this time of year.”
• • • Saturday, Matisse Thybulle left the Cleveland game early with an ankle injury. His availability in question until game time Sunday, the rookie shot
6-for-9, including 5-for-8 from the arc, for 20 points.
“I took today to recover, then went to the practice facility and got some shots up,” he said. “I wanted to feel it out. This was a big game for us. I wanted to be available. And the trainers did a great job with me.”
Thybulle made that effort pay.
“It’s kind of uncommon to see a rookie come off the bench and kind of propel us to this win,” Tobias Harris said. “To make shots like Matisse made tonight speaks volumes about what kind of player he is and the potential he has.”
• • • Recently struggling Mike Scott shot 6-for-9 against the Cavaliers Saturday, scoring 21 points. It helped that he was in the starting lineup with Joel Embiid (hip) and Josh Richardson (hamstring) unavailable.
“I was just trying to find something to jump-start him,” Brown said. “He has been down. We need him to be up.”
Scott returned to a reserve role Sunday, scoring eight points. He was relieved by his Saturday contributions.
“It felt good to make a shot again,” he said. “It’s just playing confident, and Ben found me a couple times and Trey found me a couple times and the ball just went my way.”
• • •
NOTES » With Richardson missing his sixth consecutive game, Furkan Korkmaz started. Richardson will be re-evaluated Monday. … The last time the Sixers played the Raptors, Embiid did not score. Sunday, he played 30:29 but was limited to 10 points. … Jonah Bolden (Achilles) and Zhaire Smith (leg laceration) were not available. … The Sixers next entertain the Denver Nuggets Tuesday at 8.