The Sixers look ready for a deep run into the playoffs — and they look way, way better than a Toronto Raptors team that had some concerned before tipoff.
The Sixers dominated Toronto in Game 1 on Saturday, leading by 24 at one point and never being in any real danger of losing on their way to a 131-111 win.
They certainly got contributions from Joel Embiid and James Harden, but there is no question the star of the show was Tyrese Maxey.
Here are some observations from the Sixers big win:
Tyrese Maxey: Maxey was the Sixers best player to start the game, he was their best player when they built their lead, and when they had to protect their lead, he was their best player as well.
All in his first playoff start. At 21-years old.
Maxey was hot from the start, finishing with 10 points in the first quarter, including a fast-break dunk and two threes. He kept it going from there, and started 3/5 from deep, providing the Sixers the scoring they needed early on. Maxey's improvement as a three-point shooter this season has been extremely impressive. He is not only arguably the best three-point shooter on the team, but he is an extremely willing shooter from deep, something this team really needs. Maxey is perfectly suited for the role he is in right now, and when he is hitting his shots, the Sixers offense is close to impossible to stop — as the Raptors found out on Saturday.
Maxey kept it going from there, and had a whopping 36 points through the first three quarters, while hitting multiple big threes in the third quarter to help protect the team's big lead. Maxey has developed a special quality of stepping up when the team needs him, and he has a fearlessness with the basketball in big moments that is quickly turning him into a special player.
If Maxey plays even close to as good the rest of the playoffs as he did on Saturday the Sixers are going to quickly put the Raptors away and advance to the next round.
James Harden: The big question going into the playoffs was whether Sixers fans would see a new, aggressive version of James Harden, as opposed to the passive one that they have seen in the regular season. Harden got off to a good start, attacking the basket on the first possession while also making his first three, but overall he went 1/4 from the field and finished the first quarter with just three points.
Harden did do an excellent job distributing the ball early on, totaling four assists in the first quarter. That continued throughout the game. While it isn't what fans wanted to see — and the Sixers are likely going to need him to be more aggressive eventually — it was effective against the Raptors. He stepped up as a scorer when the Sixers needed him, scoring five straight points when the Raptors cut the lead to 11 in the third, and then finding Tyrese Maxey for an easy layup to fuel a 7-0 run. The Sixers didn't have a guard that could do that last postseason and it is why they lost so many big leads.
He might not be the scorer everyone thought but the Sixers are just flat-out better with Harden on the court as he does an excellent job running the offense and getting his teammates wide-open shots.
Paul Reed: There has been plenty of discussion about who would be the first center off the bench for the Sixers in the playoffs, and sure enough, the fans got their wish as Paul Reed came into the game before DeAndre Jordan. Reed wasn't great, but he was active, and had an impressive block. Most importantly, however, the Sixers were +2 during Reed's first stint in for Joel Embiid, which felt like a massive win considering the issues they have had with the backup center spot. Reed was +4 in the meaningful minutes he played with Embiid on the bench.
Tobias Harris: Harris has caught plenty of criticism over the last year, but he was great for the Sixers early on Saturday, going 5/9 from the field and scoring 11 points while both James Harden and Joel Embiid struggled shooting. The Sixers don't need Harris to carry them. That burden falls on Embiid, Harden and partially Maxey. The Sixers just need Harris to step up during the rare stretches where others around him are struggling. Early on Harris did just that against the Raptors and it helped the Sixers get an early lead that they extended when Embiid and Maxey eventually took over.
Joel Embiid: Embiid struggled early on, but started to take over in the second, laying the ball in while he was fouled to give the Sixers a 57-42 lead. The Raptors not only don't have anyone capable of stopping Embiid, they don't have anyone capable of even slowing him down. Embiid was really only struggling because he was missing shots, not because of any defensive plan the Raptors had. Embiid wasn't at his best on Saturday but the Sixers still dominated while he was on the court. That has to be terrifying for the Raptors moving forward in this series.
Offensive rebounds: Head coach Doc Rivers talked all week about a need to keep the Raptors offensive rebounding to a minimum, something the team struggled with during the regular season. Well, the Raptors got an offensive rebound on the first possession which lead to a three. After that, however, the Sixers had six offensive rebounds in the first quarter compared to just one for the Raptors. The Sixers kept the Raptors offensive rebounding under control throughout the game, and without many second chances, the Raptors struggled to score.
Third Quarter: The Sixers took a 69-51 lead into halftime, a fair representation of a dominant first half performance. Considering the huge leads they blew last year in the playoffs against Atlanta, however, it was easy to understand why Sixers fans were still concerned. The Sixers got off to a slow start to start the third, and were outscored by six in the first six minutes, with the Raptors eventually cutting the lead to 11. It was Harden who stepped up to help calm the team down, scoring five straight before Maxey took over to end the quarter. The Sixers ended up outscoring the Raptors 38-37 in the quarter, a major win for the team considering all the leads they have blown in the past.
Danny Green: Rivers decided to start Danny Green in place of Matisse Thybulle, presumably since Thybulle won't be eligible to play in Toronto due to his vaccine status. Green went 0/3 from three to start the game and finished 1/6 (0/5 from three). It will be interesting to see if Green continues to start the rest of the playoffs or if this is only something Rivers is doing against Toronto.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com
