The Philadelphia 76ers started excellently north of the border on Thursday. The ball was moving, they were getting open looks, and they built an early 15-point lead against the Toronto Raptors.
The end result, however, was a 119-114 win for the Raptors. Pascal Siakam proved to be too much. The former All-Star forward had 37 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists as the Sixers felt the absence of Matisse Thybulle on the defensive end.
What made the loss hurt even more was the fact the Raptors were missing their best player, Fred VanVleet, and they didn’t have OG Anunoby. This was a bad loss for the Sixers when factoring in everything.
For the Sixers, the loss marked the seventh time they have blown a 15-point lead. Only the New York Knicks have done so more, eight.
The Raptors trailed by as many as 15 tonight before coming back to beat the 76ers, 119-114, behind Pascal Siakam's 37-point triple-double.
For Philadelphia, it's their 7th loss this season after leading by 15+ points, 2nd only to the Knicks (8) for most in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/2j5iXPtH8g
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 8, 2022
At the moment, it appears the Sixers and the Raptors will match up in first round of the playoffs. With Thybulle unable to play in Toronto for any games in that series, Philadelphia getting out of the first round may be a bigger challenge than fans expected.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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