76ers-Raptors Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Jan 08 2013 11:48PM

The last-place Toronto Raptors more than held their own over a two-week stretch before coming undone over the weekend.

Coach Dwane Casey is hoping to see his team regain some of that luster during what he believes is a crucial set of games.

The Raptors try to pick up a rare win over the Atlantic Division-rival Philadelphia 76ers, who don't appear too excited about heading back out on the road Wednesday night.

Toronto (12-22) had given up an average of 90.4 points while winning eight of nine before dropping its last two games. The Raptors fell 105-96 to Sacramento on Friday, then dropped to 0-16 when allowing at least 100 points with a 104-92 defeat to Oklahoma City two days later.

"There are so many things we can do better as far as the mental part of the game," Casey said. "We gotta learn from playing against a team like (the Thunder), but we can't lose our mojo. We gotta get our mojo back here in the next couple days and get ready for this coming week."

Toronto, which plays Charlotte and Milwaukee after this contest to conclude a season-high six-game homestand, is first looking to get back on track versus Philadelphia (15-21).

"Every week is big, every game is big, but these three are Eastern Conference teams that we're gonna be facing, especially with Philly coming in," Casey added. "I think that's the most important thing coming up right now is this one game. ... We wanna make sure we take care of business (Wednesday) night."

The Raptors have dropped three straight and six of seven to the 76ers, falling 93-83 on Nov. 10, and 106-98 on the road 10 days later.

While the 76ers concluded November four games above .500 after limiting foes to an average of 94.0 points, it's since been a bumpy ride. Philadelphia has allowed 99.3 points per game while going 5-15 since the start of December - including a 2-11 record in opposing arenas.

The 76ers suffered six of those losses on their recently completed season-high eight-game road trip and couldn't keep up in a brief return home Tuesday, falling 109-89 to Brooklyn. Jrue Holiday - the only starter to reach double figures - had 19 points and eight assists for Philadelphia, which saw its skid reach four after getting outscored 35-14 in the third quarter.

"I thought we were an incredibly tired team, I think we played that way," coach Doug Collins said. "No rest for the weary. Got to get on a plane and go to Toronto."

The 76ers, who lost a season-worst five straight Dec. 12-19, were outrebounded 50-32 and went just 6 for 10 from the free throw line Tuesday. They're averaging an NBA-low 14.7 free-throw attempts since Dec.12.

"I've never seen anything like it," a baffled Collins said of his team's inability to get to the foul line.

Philadelphia is 10-7 when attempting at least 19 free-throws and 5-14 when failing to reach that mark. Fortunately for the 76ers, the Raptors have put opponents on the line a league-high 928 times.

With Andrea Bargnani still sidelined due to a ligament tear in his right elbow, Toronto continues to rely heavily on DeMar DeRozan. The fourth-year guard is averaging 21.5 points against Philadelphia this season but has been limited to a combined 25 on 7-of-27 shooting in his last two games.

The 76ers, though, need to be wary of reserve Alan Anderson, who scored 20 points against the Kings and a career-high 27 on 10-of-14 from the field against the Thunder.

Johnson leads Raptors past slumping 76ers 90-72

By IAN HARRISON
Posted Jan 09 2013 10:46PM

TORONTO (AP) After finishing off a long stretch of games with another deflating defeat, the Philadelphia 76ers are finally getting a chance to rest.

Jrue Holiday, for one, couldn't be more excited.

Amir Johnson had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Jose Calderon added 14 points and 11 assists, and the Toronto Raptors never trailed in a 90-72 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday night, handing the slumping 76ers their fifth straight loss.

Holiday and Thaddeus Young each scored 16 points and Evan Turner had 10 as the Sixers set a season low in points and lost for the 13th time in 16 games. Philadelphia has played 12 of its past 16 on the road, winning just twice.

Before the game, 76ers coach Doug Collins described his team's recent schedule as "absolutely brutal."

The silver lining for the Sixers? After a short flight home, they've got two days off before their next game, Saturday night against Houston. That's the first of four straight home games for the 76ers, who play 12 of their next 13 at Wells Fargo Center.

"It's going to feel awesome," Holiday said of the chance for some down time. "I can't wait. I mean, I'm 22 and I feel banged-up. I'm excited."

Starting for the first time since Nov. 7, Toronto's Landry Fields set season highs with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

"He did exactly what we needed," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "He gave us energy and he was running the floor."

Fields, in fact, kept running all the way until the final whistle, connecting with Calderon on an alley-oop in the final 15 seconds to complete his first double-double of the season.

Still, with the Raptors in command at that point, Fields acknowledged feeling a little guilty about the flashy play.

"I actually want to apologize for that," he said. "I'm sorry. It could have been done a lot better."

DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points and Ed Davis had 17 for the Raptors, who had lost six of their previous seven meetings with Philadelphia, including three straight.

"We had to grind it out," Casey said. "Everybody stepped in and did a solid job."

Philadelphia, which lost at home to Brooklyn on Tuesday, was playing for the sixth time in nine days. The Sixers cut it to 73-67 on a jumper by Young with 6:40 left, but couldn't get any closer.

"We just had nothing left," Collins said.

The way Holiday saw it, the tired Sixers didn't have much gas to begin with.

"I don't think we had it today," he said. "We didn't have the energy from the start."

Philadelphia made just five of 19 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter.

"With poor shooting, the air just seems to come out of you," Collins said.

Still, despite their rotten run, Holiday insisted the Sixers have not lost confidence in themselves, or each other.

"I think we're pretty strong as a team," he said. "The chemistry off the court right now is awesome."

DeRozan had struggled in his past two games, both Toronto losses, making just seven of 27 field goal attempts. But he was on target in this one, connecting on eight of 13 shots and making all three of his free throws.

The Raptors led 24-14 with 1:17 left in the first but the Sixers closed the quarter with a 7-0 run, including a buzzer-beating jumper by Turner, to make it 24-21 after one.

A jump hook by Fields gave Toronto a 38-30 lead at 4:48 of the second but Philadelphia closed the gap again, cutting it to 42-40 at halftime.

Calderon scored 10 points in the third, hitting on five of six field goal attempts, as the Raptors overcame eight points from Holiday to take a 71-61 lead into the fourth.

NOTES: Philadelphia's Jason Richardson did not play because of a sore wrist. Collins said he gave Richardson, who has missed time with back and ankle injuries this season, "a San Antonio Spur day." ... Toronto C Aaron Gray, who missed Sunday's loss to Oklahoma City because of flulike symptoms, was active again but did not start, with Johnson taking his spot. ... Raptors G Terrence Ross, who left Sunday's game with a sore left ankle, did not dress. ... Fields, who started in place of Mickael Pietrus, had seven rebounds in the first quarter, as many as the entire 76ers lineup. ... Toronto won for the 11th time in franchise history when making one or fewer 3-pointers. The Raptors finished 1 for 11 from 3-point range.

Notebook: Raptors 90, Sixers 72

Duane Watson, for NBA.com
Posted Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:55 PM - Updated Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:55 PM

THE FACTS: It wasn't pretty, but the Toronto Raptors (13-22) won their eighth of their last ten games, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers (15-22) 90-72 on Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors evened out their season-high six game homestand at 2-2, while the 76ers suffered their fifth loss in a row and are 5-16 since the start of December.

Amir Johnson led all Raptors starters in double digit scoring with his double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan also scored 19. Ed Davis had 17 points and 9 rebounds while Jose Calderon added 14 points and a game-high 11 assists. Landry Fields had his first double-double of the season with a season high in both points and rebounds, with 10 and 11, after being re-inserted back into the starting lineup.

Toronto took their 42-40 lead at halftime and slowly added it to it with a solid third quarter shooting .632 percent with Calderon scoring 10 points and 3 assists, ending with a 10 point lead at 71-61. While the 76ers closed the gap to with 6 points with 6:40 left the Raptors went on 7-1 run, outscoring them in the quarter 19-11 to take their biggest lead of the game at 18 points.

The 76ers were led by Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young's 16 points, while Evan Turner added 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

QUOTABLE: "That was an Eastern Conference grinder. You talk about one of the top defensive teams, Doug (Collins) is always going to coach a tough style of basketball. Our guys did a good job, shorthanded and grinded it out. Everybody who stepped in tonight did a solid job."
-- Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey

THE STAT: While The Raptors outperformed the 76ers in almost every statistical category, you can point to the scoring by half. Toronto outscored Philadelphia 48-32 in the second half, after playing a close game after the first, 42-40. The Raptors ability to get stops, score on the offensive end and put together runs is what made the difference.

TURNING POINT: In the third quarter the Raptors were able to push their lead to 12 with 1:39 left after an Alan Anderson 3-pointer. The 76ers never threatened after that point.

QUOTABLE II: "I think we knew it was kind of flat and we needed to come back and do the right thing and we did, we ran, we limited them to one shot, we boxed out a bit better and it was great for us."
-- Raptors guard Calderon on his team's play in the second half.

HOT: Johnson in his second straight start for the Raptors did everything as asked, scoring 19 points, pulling 12 rebounds and adding 5 assists.

NOT: Despite contributing 7 rebounds and 5 assists, Turner shot 4-for-15 from the field and added 4 turnovers. His 10 points were hard earned, as the 76ers needed a spark from someone.

GOOD MOVE: Prior to tip, Casey inserted Fields into the starting lineup in place of Mickael Pietrus, who has rounded into form since wrist surgery. The move paid off with his best game of the season, notching his first double-double of the season with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals.

BAD MOVE: With the game in hand and the Raptors up by 16, Calderon threw an alley oop to Fields with 15 seconds on the clock as he crossed over half court. Both coaches were unhappy with the play and Calderon apologized immediately after he realized.

NOTABLE: Raptors rookie Terrence Ross didn't dress due to a left sprained ankle injury.

With Toronto's second win of their six-game homestand, both have been wire-to-wire victories. Philadelphia is 2-12 on the road since the start of December and have lost seven of their last eight games. The Raptors avoided a season sweep after losing the first two games to Philadelphia this season. The 72 points the 76eers scored is a season low.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors; Friday vs. Charlotte, Sunday vs. Milwaukee, Tuesday @ Brooklyn. For the 76ers; Saturday vs. Houston, Tuesday vs. New Orleans and Friday vs. Toronto.

• 76ers: Bynum
• Raptors: Bargnani, Valanciunas

• 76ers: --
• Raptors: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #61 Courtney Kirkland, #63 Derek Richardson
• Attendance: 15629
• Duration: 2:01