Jimmy Butler's 30 Lifts 76ers to Road Win vs. Raptors Despite Kawhi Leonard's 35
The Philadelphia 76ers tied their second-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors at a game apiece with Monday's 94-89 victory in Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena.
Philadelphia earned the split on the road it was surely looking for and now has the opportunity to seize control of the series back at home.
Jimmy Butler spearheaded the effort with 30 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, taking over in crunch time whenever the 76ers needed a critical basket. He scored seven straight points for the visitors in the final three minutes before Joel Embiid (12 points, six rebounds and five assists) extended a one-point lead to three with 24.3 seconds left with a beautiful spin move in the lane.
The Raptors still had the chance to tie, but Danny Green's wide-open three rimmed out.
Kawhi Leonard did what he could with 35 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but it wasn't enough to overcome Philadelphia's stifling defense throughout the contest.
76ers D Will Ultimately Determine Their Fate vs. Raptors
Philadelphia's defense being invisible in Game 1 against the Leonard and Pascal Siakam combination and then leading the way in a critical Game 2 victory is typical of its inconsistency.
The 76ers were a middling 14th in the league in defensive rating during the regular season, per NBA.com, which is a testament to a mix of talent, injury issues and a lack of intensity. After all, having four-time All-Defensive selection Butler on the wing, the athleticism of Ben Simmons on the perimeter and Embiid protecting the rim should make for a top-10 unit.
Simmons is long enough to bother any perimeter shooter while keeping up with ball-handlers attacking the basket, Butler has made a career of defending the opponent's best player and Embiid held opponents to 9.4 percent worse shooting than their normal averages within six feet, per NBA.com.
The visitors were engaged on the defensive end in Monday's contest, which is a worrisome thought for the second-seeded Raptors.
Philadelphia held Toronto to 17 points in the first quarter and 38 points in the first half by contesting every shot, crisply rotating on the perimeter and forcing situations where players were caught dribbling in isolation sets late in the shot clock.
The Sixers also made a pointed effort of forcing others outside of Leonard and Siakam to beat them at times by backing off and clogging driving lanes on the latter and shading two and sometimes even three defenders toward the 2014 NBA Finals MVP almost every time he touched the ball. It is a testament to Leonard's individual brilliance he still put up impressive numbers despite the renewed focus.
The adjustments were needed after Leonard and Siakam exploded for a combined 74 points in Game 1.
Clogging the paint against Siakam and holding him to 9-of-25 shooting proved even more important because it put the 76ers in position to rebound. They enjoyed a commanding 53-36 advantage on the boards as the Raptors shot an ugly 36.3 percent from the field and 27.0 percent from deep.
It was because of that defense the Philadelphia was able to win even though Embiid was limited by illness and his lingering knee issues. He attempted just seven field goals during the game and one in the first half, but the 76ers didn't give up their lead despite their best player being less than 100 percent.
That looms large for the rest of the playoffs, as Embiid's health is seemingly always a question mark.
Playing tough, physical defense is a way to overcome those concerns, and it is fair to assume the offense is going to come with three other All-Star-caliber players to pick him up if needed. Butler filled that role for most of Monday's contest, and Embiid used what he had in the tank for the game's most important basket.
The Sixers were inconsistent defensively for much of the season, but they have enough talent to be the best team in the Eastern Conference when they are engaged on that end of the floor. Toronto found that out the hard way in Game 2.
Raptors' Lack of Depth Will Ruin Title Dreams
The Raptors went all-in trading for free-agent-to-be Leonard this past offseason, and he is talented enough to propel them to victory in individual games and even series against overmatched teams.
He did so in Game 1 with 45 points as one of only two Raptors to finish in double figures (Siakam had 29). However, the fact that only two Raptors scored in double figures in that one underscores their primary concern.
Though Kyle Lowry bounced back with 20 points and five assists in Game 2, Toronto's bench was outscored 26-5. There were extended stretches where Raptors possessions were give it to Leonard, stand around and hope he comes through, especially with Siakam struggling to find his shot.
It was more of the same from the regular season when Toronto was an ugly 25th in the league in bench net rating, per NBA.com. By comparison, the Milwaukee Bucks were second, Boston Celtics were fourth and 76ers were 13th.
The Raptors can afford poor bench play against the likes of the Orlando Magic, but they aren't going to capitalize on their championship dreams in what may be Leonard's only season with the team if they get the same types of showings in the later rounds of the postseason.
Serge Ibaka in particular is a problem in this series when Marc Gasol is out because he is not quick or physical enough to deal with Embiid in one-on-one situations. It is fair to assume Embiid will be even more aggressive in the later games when he is healthier, which puts the Raptors into a position where they will have to double more often and open other shooters.
Philadelphia has four go-to options in Embiid, Simmons, Butler and Tobias Harris. It is asking a lot of the Leonard, Siakam and Lowry combination to go toe-to-toe with that for an extended series, especially since Siakam is largely unproven before this season and Lowry has an inconsistent playoff resume.
Dealing with the 76ers' starting lineup for most of the game is difficult enough without the bench throwing away any momentum the team has by being significantly outplayed for spurts at a time.
Leonard was put in a situation where he was constantly fighting an uphill battle in Monday's contest, which isn't a formula that will bring the Raptors their long-coveted Larry O'Brien Trophy against the competition ahead.
What's Next?
The series shifts to Philadelphia for Thursday's Game 3 and Sunday's Game 4 at the Wells Fargo Center.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
