The Philadelphia 76ers are north of the border tonight as they begin the first of back-to-back games in Toronto against the Raptors. Coming off an impressive win over the Magic in Orlando, the Sixers now find themselves with an opportunity to take the lead in the standings over the Raptors tonight and create some separation with a win tomorrow.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, they will be a bit shorthanded without Joel Embiid in this matchup, but they will not be the only team missing key personnel tonight.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (21-15) at Toronto Raptors (23-16)
When: 6:00 p.m. EST
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, Canada
Watch: NBC. Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
Friday night's win in Orlando was one of Philadelphia's most resilient wins of the season. Despite shooting struggles throughout the game, the Sixers kept their collective heads down, playing physical on both ends, forcing their way to the charity stripe while frustrating the Magic's offense at every turn, leading to 19 turnovers by Orlando.
Without Joel Embiid, who not only continues to manage the recovery of his left knee, but also saw left groin soreness added to his injury designation. While not inherently a long-term concern, especially as it was a forgone conclusion that Embiid would miss at least one of these back-to-back games, it does officially end his streak of consecutive games to begin 2026 at five.
In his place, the Sixers will turn to a combination of veteran Andre Drummond and the ever-energetic Adem Bona. While neither is as effective as Embiid is offensively, the combination of the two reserve bigs can make a substantial defensive impact against the Raptors.
The Raptors are coming off a loss to the Boston Celtics that saw wing RJ Barrett leave early due to a left ankle sprain. Barrett has long been overlooked across the NBA, often viewed as a capable player but ultimately replaceable. This season, Barrett has truly separated himself as a valuable two-way winning player.
In 39 games this season, the Raptors are 16-7 with Barrett, compared to 7-9 without him. Toronto's offense is far more effective with Barrett in the lineup, posting an offensive rating of 119.9 with him compared to 112.6 without.
Fellow forwards Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes are listed as questionable with right thumb and right knee sprains, respectively. If all goes wrong for Toronto, they could soon find themselves significantly shorthanded for this crucial divisional back-to-back.
Without Embiid, the Sixers will look to play faster, daring the Raptors to join the offensive race. Should he be up to the challenge, it would be an opportunity for Nick Nurse to reintroduce Trendon Watford to the rotation, but Philadelphia will have options as Oubre and most recently Justin Edwards — who was on assignment with the Delaware Blue Coats — have both returned to the team.
Defensively, the Sixers will look to keep the game plan consistent by playing passing lanes and taking advantage of any mistakes by their opponents. Paul George has been a tremendous contributor defensively this season, as have Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes. Add in the relentless effort of rookie VJ Edgecombe, Adem Bona and Kelly Oubre, and regardless of who takes the court for Toronto, the Raptors could be in for a rough evening against this Sixers' defense.
Sixers 107 - Raptors 98
