PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet hit consecutive 3s in the final 1:10 to lead the Toronto Raptors to beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 115-109 on Thursday night.
VanVleet hit six 3s and scored 32 points, and Trent added 20 to help the Raptors beat the Sixers. The Raptors lost to Boston on the front of a back-to-back, but the final 3s led to a good road win.
Joel Embiid, Isaiah Joe and Matisse Thybulle are still in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and they were out again. Seth Curry returned from a foot injury and Tobias Harris scored 19 points on his return from a six-game absence after testing positive for COVID-19.
“We only need bodies. It is a warm body. The fact that he’s one of our best players helps, ”said coach Doc Rivers.
The Sixers need more reinforcements and have lost three games in a row. Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points for the Sixers.
Andre Drummond had put the Sixers ahead 109-107 with 1:44 left and then followed up with a blocked shot on the next possession that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Trent, however, hit the 3-pointer with 1:10 left that put the Raptors ahead.
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The Raptors led most of the fourth quarter until the Sixers had a late streak. Shake Milton hit a 3-pointer and his baseline cut it down to 92-89 before Harris scored to bring the Sixers closer to one. VanVleet and Svi Mykhailiuk, however, each buried 3-pointers that stretched the lead and OG Anunoby hit a turnover.
Anunoby then hit a 3, a 14 for the Raptors.
ADVICE
Raptors: Anunoby also scored 20 points. … He fell behind 57-52 at halftime.
76ers: Ben Simmons attended Thursday’s filming session, although there are no immediate plans for the guard to return to play. “There has been more. He’s doing all the things that I know he’s supposed to do, ”Rivers said. Rivers continues to deflect questions about Simmons, who is officially out with a bad back and mental health. Rivers said Simmons’ status is “the last thing on my mind right now.” Simmons’ agent Rich Paul told The Athletic: “This is no longer about a trade. It’s about finding a place where we can help Ben regain his mental strength and get back on the ground. I want him on the court playing the game he loves. I want Ben on the floor. Whether in the 76ers uniform or any other uniform, that’s not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. ”Simmons, a three-time All-Star, applied for a trade in the offseason and has a cold relationship with the Sixers.
WALK ON
The annual open tryout held by NBA G League teams actually loaned a player this season to the Delaware Blue Coats. Brian Cameron, a leading shooter at Division III Wesley College, went from a Delaware native to a deep reserve on the bench.
He was inactive for the opener, but was expected to make the list in Maine.
Not bad for a guard who practically stayed out for a year due to the pandemic. He impressed in open training that included former DI players and was invited to training camp. He signed a one-year contract with the Blue Coats.
“I hope I can find my way eventually,” he said. “Nothing is given. Everything is earned. That’s how I’ve been all my life coming from small schools here and there. I didn’t have the best recruits with me, or anything. I just have to show what I can contribute to the team ”.
Blue Coats general manager Prosper Karangwa said Cameron’s shots – he shot at least 45% in three of his first three college seasons – made him attractive to the team.
“I don’t think there was a day that Brian didn’t seem like he didn’t belong,” Karangwa said. “Hopefully he gets a chance to get a few minutes at some point.”
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Raptors: Come home Saturday to play Detroit.
76ers: Open a six-game road trip Saturday in Indiana.
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