Final
76ers-Raptors Preview
Dec 12, 2015 - 9:59 PM The Toronto Raptors have tightened up defensively through an extended homestand and will likely continue that trend when they wrap it up.The Raptors will seek to continue their dominance over the lowly Philadelphia 76ers and their league-worst scoring attack Sunday night.
Toronto (15-9) gave up an average of 109.0 points while dropping the first two of six consecutive home games, although one of those performances came against Golden State. The Raptors have yielded an average of 90.0 points while winning their three ensuing games and edged the league's second-best team, San Antonio, during that stretch.
"We've got to live by making teams feel us defensively," coach Dwane Casey said.
Toronto yielded its fewest points in seven games Friday in a 90-83 win over Milwaukee and gave up a season-low 31 in the first half. DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and hit a key basket with 1:42 to go after the Bucks cut a 19-point deficit to four.
"At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is winning the game. As long as we're winning, everyone in this locker room is happy," center Bismack Biyombo said. "I think we did a good job as we have done for the last few nights. We've just got to continue to build on it."
The Raptors will next face a Philadelphia team that's averaging 91.0 points - four fewer than any other team - while shooting 41.6 percent.
The 76ers (1-23) couldn't recover from a 14-point first quarter in a 107-95 loss to Detroit on Friday. They had 10 of their 21 turnovers in the opening period, during which they are averaging a league-worst 18.2 points. Philadelphia is also last in the league in turnovers at 18.2 per game.
"We have been starting in a hole with turnovers," said coach Brett Brown, who signed a multiyear extension Friday. "We spotted them an (11-0 lead) in the first two or three minutes. The turnovers were the part that disturbed us the most."
Philadelphia had its second-fewest turnovers (12) of the season and one of its best scoring performances against Toronto on Nov. 11, but also had one of its worst defensive showings in a 119-103 loss. The 76ers also gave up 119 points while losing by 51 to San Antonio on Monday and have allowed at least 100 in four consecutive games, one shy of a season high.
They've given up triple digits in each of its last four games in Toronto and lost two visits last season by a combined 48 points. The Raptors have won nine in a row overall in this series while averaging 109.9 points.
Philadelphia has lost 18 straight on the road since beating Denver on March 25, two shy of the franchise-worst skid in 1987-88.
"We've got to respect them and come back with the same mentality," Biyombo said.
Jahlil Okafor tied a season high with 26 points in last month's matchup. He's scored 22 in each of his last two games and leads all rookies with 17.3 per game.
Kyle Lowry had a team-best 23 points and eight assists in the win in November while Luis Scola contributed 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Scola, scoring 10.0 points per game, is averaging 17.3 while shooting 62.2 percent in his last three games against Philadelphia.
- PHILADELPHIA: 76
TORONTO: 96
Final
Dec 13 8:27 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 58
TORONTO: 69
End of 3rd
Dec 13 7:50 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 44
TORONTO: 52
Halftime
Dec 13 7:08 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 24
TORONTO: 32
End of 1st
Dec 13 6:38 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 0
TORONTO: 0
1st Quarter - 12:00
Dec 13 6:11 PM
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