Raptors hurt by smaller 3-point shooting Sixers

The Raptors were able to get a hot start going up 11-1 but the Sixers inched back by using a late second quarter rally of 13-2 and ended up going to recess tied @ 51. In the second half behind DeMar DeRozan who had 8 points in the third quarter after having only 6 all the first half and with the Sixers up 1 65-64 with 5 and a half minutes to go in the third quarter the Raps came back with 11 straight points to take a 75-65 lead and took a 80-73 lead after three. Kyle Lowery who made his long waited return put up 8 points in the third quarter and ended the game with 13 points and 7 assists in 30 minutes. The Raptors had the Sixers in the penalty with 9 minutes left in the game and were up 87-80 but went to the line 7 times rest of the way and only made 2 of them and the Sixers went on a 26-11 to end the game ans pulled away with a 106-98 victory. The Sixers used the 3-ball as they hit 3 of 8 the rest of the way including back-to-back threes by Nick Young erasing a 6 point lead with 5 and a half left in the game and Nick Young had 10 of his 23 points and 10 of the Sixers 33 points in the fourth quarter while Thaddeus Young had 10 points as well and finished with 18. Jrue Holiday had 21 points and Jason Richardson had 19 in the game and they lived behind the 3-point arc going 9 of 24 from 3 while only taken 19 free throws but did make 17 of them compared to 20 of 29 for the Raps and just under 67% from the line. Andrea Bargnani had 22 points and he did not drop off in the second half 10 in the first and 12 in the second half while Jose Calderon had all of his 13 points in the first half and had 12 assists in the game for a double-double. DeMar DeRozan had 18 second half points and ended with 24 including 7 of 8 from the line and Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards but Kyle Lowery struggled from the line going 3 of 8 and finished with 13 points. Raptors get Lowery back and soon his legs will come back Tom Mehegan