Raptors look to bounce back against 76ers on TSN
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The Toronto Raptors look for their first win of the season when they play host to their Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Watch the Raptors battle the 76ers LIVE at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on TSN4, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.
Toronto kicked off the franchise’s 30th anniversary season on Wednesday with a lopsided 136-106 loss at the hands of the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, their worst home-opening loss in team history.
After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic preached patience in a season that had been previously dubbed as a rebuild by president Masai Ujiri.
“It’s Game 1 of the season,” he said. “We definitely want to compete and win and try to do it every single night. But at the same time, we have to be patient with our young team and give those guys an opportunity to learn and bounce back.”
“We’re not going to get down on ourselves,” said Scottie Barnes, who scored just nine points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field. “We’re a really connected group… we’ll learn from this.”
Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley left the contest in the first half with a pelvic injury after he was undercut by Cavaliers guard Darius Garland on the defensive end. He recorded 13 points, four assists, and two rebounds in his injury-shortened season debut.
The 25-year-old joins a growing list of players on the Raptors’ injury report, with RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown, and 2024 first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter all sitting out in Wednesday’s loss.
TSN’s Josh Lewenberg reports that both Quickley and Barrett are doubtful for Friday, while Olynyk, Brown, and Walter remain out.
Toronto will look to buck a trend that has seen them lose their last seven contests against the Sixers, with their last win coming almost two years to the date of Friday’s game.
Philadelphia have also found themselves bitten by the injury bug to start the year, and will be without superstar Joel Embiid and prized off-season acquisition Paul George in Toronto.
After sitting out for the entirety of the preseason, it was announced that Embiid would be sidelined for at least the first week of the regular season with what the team is calling left knee injury management.
George joined Embiid on the injury report after suffering a bone bruise in his knee during a preseason contest on Oct. 14. The Sixers will have to keep waiting for his regular-season debut after signing the nine-time All-Star a four-year, $212 million contract this summer.
Tyrese Maxey figures to be the focal point for Philadelphia’s offence while Embiid and George are out. The 23-year-old guard scored 25 points on 10-of-31 shooting, with six rebounds and three assists in the team’s 124-109 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.
The Kentucky Wildcats alum could be in for another big night, as through 11 regular-season contests against the Raptors, Maxey has averaged 22.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game.