Scottie Barnes, centre, of the Toronto Raptors, is examined by the training staff after hurting his left leg in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Philadelphia. The 76ers triumphed 131-111. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Here are 10 key takeaways from the Toronto Raptors’ 131-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1.
One — In a nutshell, everything that might have gone wrong did. The Raptors were completely overwhelmed in Game 1, as the Sixers bullied and fooled them into a shambolic defensive performance.
To make matters worse, the Raptors sustained additional injuries and saw two more players foul out. The Raptors made several mini-runs in the third quarter to cut into the Sixers’ lead, but the Sixers always responded. The only true takeaway is that many of their errors were out of character and totally avoidable.
Two — The Raptors’ defence must improve or this series will be over in a hurry. According to NBA.com’s John Schuhmann, Philadelphia scored 131 points on 89 possessions, the third-most efficient playoff performance in the past 26 years. The Raptors sold out to put pressure on Joel Embiid and James Harden, but this wasn’t a design flaw.
The Raptors just made too many errors in execution and were punished for it. Of course, the Sixers’ secondary scorers, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, combined for 65 points on 35 attempts. The temptation will be to abandon the entire strategy, but the smart course of action is to eliminate inefficiencies. Embiid and Harden will always command a double team, but the Raptors must be far more precise with their timing and rotations. Keeping their stars under check is only half the battle. It goes without saying that the Raptors must improve on the glass and in transition.
Three — The most significant change is how the Raptors will protect Harden. When Harden attacked from the top, the Raptors were caught ball watching far too often, and he just picked them apart with his playmaking. The plan against him should be to guard him straight up and to assist at the hoop at the last second, ideally from a second defender coming off a non-shooter.
Individual scoring for Harden should be pleased because he isn’t finishing efficiently on drives and his step-back three is erratic. Instead of giving up wide open threes and cuts, the Raptors should be aiming for more of those looks. The Raptors have been over-helping all season, so it will require discipline to execute, but the series is on the line. Burned harden
Four — From start to end, Maxey annihilated the Raptors. He established his stride early on by feasting on open threes and with his pace in transition, before single-handedly putting this game to bed with 19 points in the third quarter, thwarting any comeback attempt. Maxey’s efficiency is heavily influenced by how the Raptors react to Harden. The Raptors continued assisting Maxey to shade over, and Harden’s faith is evident as he actively seeks to bring Maxey the ball.
That’s when he’s most dangerous, because Maxey can shoot from deep, requiring you to run him off the line, while also being frighteningly quick to drive against the closeout. Maxey is a less dangerous creator with the ball in his hands, but it’s always troublesome if he’s attacking off a screen from Embiid, as the Raptors don’t want to help off him at all, which opens up driving lanes for Maxey to exploit. The Raptors must decide whether or not to reshuffle their duties. On opposing guards, Fred VanVleet is the first option defender, but greater size might shorten closeouts and make Maxey’s job more difficult.
