Raptors at 76ers
The Toronto Raptors have not lost three games in a row in over a year, a fate they'll try to avoid Sunday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers, who own the NBA's best home record at 11-0. After winning seven straight, the Raptors suffered an overtime loss to Miami and then endured a 119-109 setback against Houston on Thursday to close out a three-game homestand.
Pascal Siakam scored a team-high 24 points in the loss, which saw Toronto allow the Rockets to hit 22-of-55 from 3-point range. "It's been two games and we're 15-6, and I'm sure the world's not falling right now," Raptors guard Kyle Lowry told reporters. "So we're just gonna get better and worry about ourselves and continue to get better." Sixers superstar Joel Embiid was held scoreless for the first time in his career in a 101-96 loss at Toronto last month and his status for this one is uncertain after he sat out a rout of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday with a hip contusion. Ben Simmons picked up the slack with a career-high 34 points on 12-of-14 shooting in just 26 minutes of the 141-94 victory.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS2 (Toronto), NBCS Philadelphia
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (15-6): Fred VanVleet chipped in 20 points in Thursday's loss while Lowry added 19 in his second game back from a broken thumb. Forward Serge Ibaka contributed 10 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes in his third game since returning from an ankle injury. Siakam was held to just 10 points over the final three quarters - zero in the fourth - and is shooting 38.9 percent over the last two contests.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (16-7): The 47-point win over the Cavaliers was the most lopsided in Brett Brown's six-plus seasons as head coach in Philadelphia and Simmons - who struggled to 10 points when Embiid was scoreless in Toronto - had no problems taking over the lead role. "Little bit of everything," Simmons told NBCS Philadelphia when asked what was working for him. "Getting to the rim, getting to the line, a couple of mid-range shots. I think I just felt a groove, so I just stayed locked in." Simmons made his second career 3-pointer and Mike Scott, who started in place of Embiid, had a team-high three makes from long range en route to a season-high 21 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Siakam and VanVleet combined for 49 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the win over Philadelphia at home Nov. 25.
2. Sixers SG Josh Richardson (hamstring) will miss his sixth straight game Sunday and SG Matisse Thybulle is day-to-day after rolling his right ankle against Cleveland.
3. Raptors C Marc Gasol is shooting 52.4 percent from the field in December after posting a 30.9 percent effort in November and a 31 percent mark in October.