Raptors vs. 76ers Injury Report: Three Stars Out, Embiid Available

The shorthanded Toronto Raptors fell 98-93 to the top seed in the Eastern Conference: the Boston Celtics. In a game where many didn’t give the Raptors a chance without their superstar duo of Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard, who both sat out due to injuries, Toronto held a 22-point lead, a three-point lead with under a minute remaining, and were on top for 78% of the game. Ultimately, the Raptors scored six fewer points in the second half than they did in the first quarter (38-32), and allowed an 8-0 run in the final minute to lose the game.

Today marks a new day, and unfortunately it doesn’t get any easier for the Raptors. They face the second-seeded Philadelphia 76ers on the road and on the second night of a back-to-back. Although the odds are stacked against them, they desperately need some momentum because they still have to play the New York Knicks twice, the Washington Wizards, and the Detroit Pistons in their next four games. 

Toronto won’t be receiving any help, according to the official NBA injury report. Barnes remains out as he nurses a groin injury and is considered day-to-day, while Leonard is still reconditioning from his knee swelling and is set to be reevaluated sometime next week. The only other non-two-way player on the report is backup forward/center Trayce Jackson-Davis, who continues to sit out due to an illness. As for Philadelphia, 22-time All-Star LeBron James will watch from the sidelines due to sciatica management, and former MVP Joel Embiid has now been upgraded to available after initially being questionable due to management of his plantar fascia. Dominick Barlow (stress reaction in lower back), Ariel Hukporti (torn Achilles), and Adem Bona (cervical spine sprain) will all sit out as well. 

While the frontcourt has certainly been a glaring issue for the Raptors over the last year and a half, tonight may be a great night to change the narrative. Although Embiid is playing, it's uncertain how many minutes he'll be able to play given the injury designation. Outside of him, the 76ers will have none of their main backup big men to play. This would mean either Dean Wade, Jabari Walker, or Tacko Fall would be playing significant minutes at center; all of these should be favorable matchups for Jakob Poeltl, who has been surging in recent games. He only scored six points against Boston, but his efficiency has been much better, and his usage increases when playing alongside Jamal Shead. If head coach Darko Rajakovic chooses to continue to start Collin Murray-Boyles alongside Poeltl, the 76ers will have their hands full trying to defend the paint all night long with Wade, who doesn’t have the athleticism or physicality to defend down low, Barlow, who primarily guards forwards, or Fall, who has played three minutes all season.