Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points and handed out eight assists as the Philadelphia 76ers erased a 17-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 123-112 at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday night, completing a comeback that turned on a 16-2 swing across the third and fourth quarters. Joel Embiid added 20 points as Philadelphia improved to 10-3, while Toronto fell to 5-7 on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Raptors, who had lost 98-93 to Boston in Toronto the night before, started fast and built a substantial early lead, but the 76ers steadily chipped away before taking control after half-time. Maxey was the engine of the rally, attacking the paint and setting up teammates as Philadelphia’s defence tightened, and Embiid’s presence inside gave the home side the platform to close the game out in the fourth quarter.
Raptors run out of steam
Toronto’s schedule caught up with it. The Raptors had surrendered a 22-point lead to the Celtics on Wednesday — the largest blown home lead in franchise history — and the quick turnaround to Philadelphia left them with little left in the tank when the 76ers made their run. According to the NBA’s official recap, the 16-2 swing across the third and fourth quarters was the decisive stretch, and the Raptors never recovered once Philadelphia took the lead.
Philadelphia’s early-season statement
At 10-3, the 76ers are firmly in the early-season mix at the top of the Eastern Conference, and Maxey’s form is the driving force: 27 points on a night when his team needed a leader, with Embiid providing the support inside. For Toronto, the picture is gloomier — three straight defeats, two blown leads in two nights, and a 5-7 record that leaves the Raptors searching for answers. The schedule does not get any kinder, and a team that keeps letting big leads slip has a problem that goes beyond tired legs.
For the 76ers, the win keeps them firmly in the early-season mix in the East, and Maxey’s form is the story: 27 points on a night when his team needed a leader, with Embiid providing the support. Toronto, meanwhile, has now lost three straight and will need to regroup quickly — the schedule does not get any kinder, and a team that has blown big leads on consecutive nights has a problem that goes beyond tired legs. George dropped 36 as the Celtics toppled the 76ers for the East lead, and The Knicks routed the Bucks 117-85 as Towns extended his double-double run.
