Raptors at 76ers
The Toronto Raptors aim to defeat Philadelphia for the third straight time this season when they visit the 76ers on Saturday. Toronto, which owns the best record in the NBA, won the first two matchups by an average of 14 points and this matchup is the first of the season in Philadelphia.
Star forward Kawhi Leonard matched his season high of 37 points on 12-of-16 shooting as the Raptors posted a 126-110 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. Leonard scored 36 points in a win over the 76ers on Dec. 5 but coach Nick Nurse said after Friday's contest that Leonard will sit out against the 76ers. Philadelphia recorded a 131-109 victory over the visiting New York Knicks on Wednesday after losing three of four games and center Joel Embiid led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Embiid has 28 double-doubles this season and 75 in 126 career NBA games.
TV: 7:30 p.m. NBATV, TSN (Toronto), NBCS Philadelphia
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (25-9): Toronto is an ailing squad with point guard Kyle Lowry (thigh) missing the past four games, power forward Serge Ibaka (knee) sitting out the last two games and guard Danny Green (knee) missing his initial game of the season when he didn't play against Cleveland. "We're handling it really well," Nurse told reporters afterward. "We're having to do a lot of different things, play a lot of different lineups and a little bit different style now and then." Forward OG Anunoby matched his career highs of 21 points and eight rebounds after failing to score in double digits in 12 of the previous 13 games.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (21-12): Shooting guard JJ Redick scored 14 points against New York to become the 47th active player to score at least 10,000 career points. The 13-year veteran felt pride in reaching the mark after having to fight to get minutes during the early portion of his NBA career. "Number one, I feel like if you do something long enough, the milestones just sort of come," Redick, who has 10,005 points, told reporters. "It doesn't really equal greatness or anything like that. You just kind of luck into it, I guess. But the other part of that is, if you had told me 10 years ago as a third-year guy struggling to get into the rotation that I would score 10,000 points, I would be like, 'You're crazy.'"
BUZZER BEATERS
1. 76ers SG Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 38 points - a figure he matched in the team's next game - in the loss to the Raptors earlier this month.
2. Toronto SF CJ Miles is 2-for-16 from 3-point range over the past three games.
3. Philadelphia PG Ben Simmons has registered triple-doubles in two of the past three games and four for the season.