Desperate to even their second round series before heading back home, here are three takeaways from the Philadelphia 76ers’ crucial Game 2 win.
Following their 108-95 loss in Game 1 at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, it was absolutely crucial for the Philadelphia 76ers to get off to a positive start in Game 2. To their credit, the Sixers were laser-focused from the tip-off, getting out to a 51-38 lead at the main break, primarily led by restricting the Raptors to 32.6 percent shooting from the field.
Despite being outscored in the second half, and with the Raptors narrowing the lead to 90-89 with 46.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Joel Embiid‘s driving bucket with 24.3 seconds left gave the Sixers the cushion they needed, allowing them to eventually prevail, 94-89.
After struggling with just 10 points in Game 1, Jimmy Butler bounced back in a big way by posting 30 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, which included making some enormous plays down the stretch. While he entered the game under the weather and clearly still hampered by tendonitis in his left knee, Embiid managed to post 12 points, six rebounds and five assists while providing a crucial anchor at the defensive end of the floor.
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Like the first game, Kawhi Leonard was again outstanding for the Raptors with 35 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Pascal Siakam added 21 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists. In holding them to 89 points, the Sixers limited the Raptors to their third-lowest scoring total for the season, which most notably featured just three players scoring in double figures.
So before the series switches to Philadelphia on Friday, here are three main takeaways from Game 2.