Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 44 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 112-90 victory over the Toronto Raptors without Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia 76ers Tyrese Maxey, left, drives past Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam during the second half of an NBA basketball game
By IAN HARRISON, Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 44 points to carry the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid to a 112-90 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Embiid sat out because of a sore right knee. A five-time All Star and reigning NBA scoring champion, Embiid is averaging 27.6 points and 10 rebounds in five games.
The 76ers didn't miss Embiid and Maxey didn't need much from James Harden, who made his first 10 shots, seven of them from long range, and didn't miss a 3-pointer until the rim with 8 minutes left. left in the third quarter.
"I know how good we can be, I know how talented we are, but we have to match our talent with playing power and defensive tenacity," Maxey said. "We knew it was going to be tough without Joel tonight. It made guys step up, it made guys do things they normally wouldn't do.
Maxey shot 15 for 20 overall, going a career-best 9 for 12 from outside.
"Rece didn't miss," 76ers guard Mattisse Thybulle said. "They just kept going in."
Maxey had eight rebounds and four assists. He shot 5 for 6 at the free throw line.
"I thought he was fantastic," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. "He led us in rebounding."
De'Anthony Melton and Tobias Harris each scored 13 points and Harden scored 11 as the 76ers never trailed and won for the second time in six games, splitting the pair north of the border against their Atlantic Division rivals.
"We're not close to where we want to be," Rivers said, "and we're going to have some bumps and we know that. But once we get there, we're going to be a really good basketball team.
Pascal Siakam had 26 points and 10 rebounds, O.G. Anunoby had 19 points and Scotty Barnes had 13 for the Raptors, who lost for the first time in three home games. Toronto's 90 points were a season low.
“We were really locked in on the defensive end,” Maxey said.
Raptors All Star guard Fred VanVleet shot 0 for 11, 0 for 8 from 3-point range. VanVleet scored one point.
"We weren't very sharp on either end," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
Maxey was 5 for 5 in the first, starting the quarter with four straight 3-pointers and ending with a buzzer-beating shot to give the 76ers a 28-26 lead. Philadelphia went 7 of 14 from long range in the first.
Maxey made five more shots in the second, two of them from long range, and Harden scored eight points to give the visitors a 65-48 lead. Sixers hit 15 for 24.
"Once you stop the game gets easier, honestly, not just for me, but for all of us," Maxey said.
Anunoby cut it to 70-64 with a dunk with 4:09 left in the third but Maxey answered with four points as Philadelphia took an 81-70 lead into the fourth.
ADVICE-INS
76ers: Melton starts with Embiid out. … After going 44 for 25 in the first half, Philadelphia shot 6 for 20 in the third quarter. … Maxey's previous career high was 39, set on Jan. 9, 2021 vs. Denver.
Raptors: Toronto committed 10 turnovers in the first half, leading to 18 points for the 76ers. The Raptors didn't commit a first-half turnover in Wednesday's 119-109 win over Philadelphia and scored nine in the game. He had Friday the 17th. … Toronto Bench did not score a point in the first half. … F Otto Porter Jr. (personal reasons) unavailable.
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