PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Saturday to play host to the Toronto Raptors looking to end their 2-game skid. The Sixers, rocking with their 2001 throwback uniforms and court, were also looking to start off the back-to-back on a high note against a pesky Raptors team.
Toronto gave the Sixers trouble at times in this one, but led by the stellar play of Tyrese Maxey, they were able to knock off the Raptors 130-120 to get back in the win column. Maxey had 31 points and seven assists with four rebounds to lead Philadelphia to a much-needed win to feel good about things again.
Joel Embiid added 29 points, six rebounds, and four assists, Trendon Watford had 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19. Quentin Grimes hopped off the bench and poured in 11 points while VJ Edgecombe had 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Here are the player grades following the win:
Tyrese Maxey: A-minus
The Raptors had a tough time staying in front of Maxey in this one. There was so many times the star guard was able to take defenders off the dribble and find ways to finish at the basket. He also knocked down a couple of dagger 3s in the early going in this one to set the tone. Toronto does deserve credit for slowing him down after the hot start, but Maxey kept attacking and was able to make things happen for Philadelphia. He is so quick and he makes the right decisions with the basketball which leads to easy baskets for himself and others.
VJ Edgecombe: B-minus
Toronto shaded a lot of attention toward Edgecombe in an effort to slow the rookie down a bit and he struggled with it. He deserves credit for attacking the glass and finding a way to contribute in a positive manner, though. It shows his maturity to fight through some early struggles in a game. He had a few highlight moments that he can build on. He made some huge shots down the stretch of the fourth quarter to give the Sixers some more offensive juice.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: B-plus
The Sixers have gotten a lot of good play from Oubre to begin this season. He continues to be a guy Philadelphia will turn to for consistent play on either end of the floor and he brought it early in this one. He attacked the basket and had some acrobatic finishes over Toronto’s defenders. He struggled with his 3-point shooting in this one, but Oubre was efficient in the paint and was able to help the Sixers find an offensive rhythm and keep the scoreboard moving.
Trendon Watford: A-plus
Earning the start in this one, Watford made an immediate impact. He does a lot of the little things that help a team win in this league and he did those early and often against the Raptors. He made a lot of hustle plays, handled the ball, ran some offense from the power forward spot, and crashed the glass. He was super efficient with his offense, made the right plays out of the post, and had some good defensive moments. As he continues to find his niche, he is going to be a super helpful player for this group going forward.
Joel Embiid: A-minus
The Raptors went small to start this game and defended Embiid with the likes of Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. That led to Embiid being able to get going in the paint as he used his size, strength, and soft touch around the basket for easy looks. He wasn’t able to knock down his open 3s and there were some defensive breakdowns leading to easy Toronto buckets, but for the most part, the big fella was a force in the paint for Philadelphia and he made the smart plays with his passing against the doubles. Overall, the big fella had another efficient night on the offensive end, but had some defensive struggles, so it was a little bit of a mixed bag. Either way, another good step for him as he works his way back to himself.
Quentin Grimes: B-minus
The Sixers needed some positive momentum and Grimes provided it in the second quarter. With Toronto building a double-digit lead, Grimes knocked down a couple of big triples to push the Sixers moving in the right direction. The bench unit was an overall adventure—Grimes included—but he had some big moments in this one.
Andre Drummond: B-plus
The Sixers turned to Drummond in the first half and the veteran pulled down a couple of rebounds and moved his feet well defensively. The Sixers turned to Drummond again in the second half and the veteran delivered some big moments. He had some big defensive plays by being quick on his feet and had a bucket after battling with the Raptors inside. He is making his statement that he should be the primary backup big man.
Justin Edwards: C-minus
The second-year guard had some good moments defensively, but he committed a turnover in his initial stint that led to a Raptors bucket. He knocked down a corner 3 in the second half to help the Sixers keep the scoreboard moving.
Jabari Walker: C-plus
Once again, Walker just plays within himself and does what’s best for the Sixers. Eventually, the 3-point shot has to fall, but he is a team-first guy and the Sixers will certainly continue giving him minutes in an effort to get him going.
Adem Bona: D-plus
The initial stint for Bona included committing an offensive foul and some defensive breakdowns. He did hit the glass with aggression so the Sixers will take that, but he had a tough night overall.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Tyrese Maxey, Sixers knock off Raptors to end skid
