Scottie Barnes delivered the dagger, Jamal Shead erupted for a career night, and Toronto’s makeshift roster outlasted a Tyrese Maxey-led Philly squad that coughed up 22 turnovers and a season-low 11 assists.
The Moment
With the score knotted at 115 and 0.8 ticks left in overtime, Scottie Barnes walked to the stripe for two shots. He buried the first, then intentionally clanged the second. The horn sounded as the ball caromed away, sealing a 116-115 Toronto win and a third straight home victory over Philadelphia.
Barnes Bounces Back, Shead Surges
Barnes, fresh off a one-game knee-rest, played 42 minutes and poured in 31 points on 10-of-12 free-throw shooting. His calm under pressure masked the chaos around him: RJ Barrett (ankle), Brandon Ingram (thumb) and Jakob Poeltl (back) remained in street clothes, and lottery pick Ja’Kobe Walter lasted four minutes before a sore hip ended his night.
Into the void stepped rookie point guard Jamal Shead. The former Houston Cougar shredded Philly for a career-high 22 points, repeatedly blowing by help defenders that were late rotating off Barnes. Immanuel Quickley added 20, and two-way rookie Collin Murray-Boyles punished the smaller Sixers with 17 points and a personal-best 15 rebounds.
Philly’s Starless, Helpless Offense
Without Joel Embiid (knee/groin) and Paul George (knee), the Sixers leaned on Tyrese Maxey for 38 points, but the supporting cast never found rhythm. Toronto’s aggressive traps forced 22 turnovers—one off Philadelphia’s season high—and the visitors managed only 11 assists, a new low.
Philly shot 47 percent overall but cratered late: four turnovers and two rushed threes in the final three minutes of OT. VJ Edgecombe flashed upside with 17 points, yet no other Sixler cracked 14.
Three-Point Cold Snap
The Raptors’ victory came despite a season-worst 5-for-32 showing from deep (15.6 percent). They compensated by winning the free-throw column 27-18 and out-scoring the Sixers 52-38 in the paint. Head coach Darko Rajaković emphasized rim pressure all night, a tactical choice that paid off when Barnes drew the decisive foul on Jabari Walker with 0.8 left.
What It Means
- Toronto’s playoff pulse: The win lifts the Raptors to 18-21, within 1.5 games of the play-in pack. With ESPN’s standings showing the East’s 10-seed at 20-20, Sunday’s steal keeps hope alive until reinforcements return.
- Barnes’ All-Star push: A 31-piece on a balky knee strengthens his case for the first All-Star nod of his career. He now averages 25.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 6.1 APG since Dec. 1.
- Philly’s vulnerability: The Sixers fall to 22-17 and 2-5 when both Embiid and George sit. Until the stars stabilize, Maxey is carrying an unsustainable 35-percent usage rate.
Next Up
The same two teams run it back Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. Expect a healthier Philly rotation—Embiid and George are both listed as questionable—but also expect Rajaković to keep sending multiple bodies at Maxey and daring the rest to beat them.
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