The Sixers got the perfect shot. Never, Doc Rivers’ troops scored the four quarters. But with the help of the Maxey-Harden-Embiid trio, they managed to hold on to extra time and relied on the Cameroonian’s talent at the last minute to force the decision.
However, the Raptors got off to the best start by better controlling the pace of the game, as the three-pointer Trent Jr-Achiuwa-Boucher trio brought the locals to +10 after 12 minutes of play. scene of a trigger match in a rhythm more similar to the Sixers. But thanks to the locals’ outdoor address, talent Pascal Siakam and Philly’s repeatedly lost balls, Toronto was able to maintain a 10-point lead at halftime (56-46).
James Harden and Joel Embiid returned from the locker room with different intentions. After “The Beard” dunk to bring his team down to -5 (62-57), it was the Cameroonian pivot who took matters into his own hands, tearing himself apart by scoring 18 of his team’s 28 points in the third quarter-time to pressure the Raptors (75-74).
The latter somehow held onto the house and thought they had done the hardest thing when OG Anunoby on 3 point on a ball from Fred VanVleet and Precious Achiuwa on the offensive rebound gave the locals another 5 point lead (95-90). †
But Tyrese Maxey and James Harden did what it took to equalize. Precious Achiuwa then caused Harden’s sixth error, but missed his two throws behind (95-95). And after two last failed attempts by Joel Embiid behind the arc and Tobias Harris under the circle, the two teams were given five minutes of extra time.
In a thrilling final, OG Anunoby and Tyrese Maxey showed their composure with a 3-point shot for the winger and two baskets of full contact from the point guard. But the final word went to Joel Embiid who redeemed himself from a careless error by scoring a 3-point catch-and-shoot with 0.9 seconds on the Sixers’ last possession to give the victory to Philly (101-104) to give.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– Revenge by Joel Embiid. The Cameroonian’s tears at the end of the previous streak between the two teams in 2019 have been forgotten. The Sixers’ pivot retaliated by returning to the Raptors in their room with a “clutch” basket practically synonymous with qualifying as Toronto is now trailing 3-0. All the more palatable when Philadelphia had to wait for overtime for the first time in the game to make up for the score.
– By a hair. Less than two minutes before the end, the Raptors saw the game escape in detail. First there was this counter from OG Anunoby to James Harden that ended up being counted as “goaltending” by a few tenths of a second. The sequel hurt Nick Nurse’s troops just as much as it was three missed throws that cost a lot of money in the final, two for Precious Achiuwa 27 seconds from the end of the last act and one for OG Anunoby who very well had the hero could be out of the game without this stroke of genius from Joel Embiid.
TOPS/FLOPS
Joel Embiid† The spindle is illustrated by its accuracy over the matches and that was again the case this evening as he quickly found the thread after a difficult start. His stunning third quarter put him back on track and his last basket, which he says was the best part of his career, was the icing on the cake of his 33-point, 13-rebound game.
The Maxey-Harden Couple† When Joel Embiid can count on lieutenants in such a form, it necessarily opens up more perspectives in the Sixers’ game. Even if Philly went down a mouse hole, the team’s two creators still managed to do it tonight with 19 points each and a constant threat alongside their leader.
Pascal Siakam† The Raptors leader, author of an impeccable first half, lost track during the second half and gradually disappeared from the radar to finish with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, or too far from expected performance for such an appointment .
Fred VanVleet. The captain, back from injury, has played a lot in the first three games of this series. It has also been watering heavily, with a 3/13 last night in line with its previous outings. He compensates with other things, but he too is not up to the task at the moment.
THE FOLLOWING
Game 4 of the series takes place this Friday from 2 a.m., with the Raptors already back on the wall for their second consecutive game in front of their home crowd.
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