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NBA: Joel Embiid’s winning 3 pointer helps Philadelphia beat Toronto Raptors for 3-0 lead
- Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet each had 12 points
- Philadelphia never held a lead in regulation
- Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Barnes is making progress and could return Saturday
Joel Embiid made a 3-pointer in last 0.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 104-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday and a 3-0 lead in their first-round series.
After 76ers coach Doc Rivers called timeout to save the possession as the shot clock was running down, Embiid took an inbounds pass from Danny Green with 0.9 seconds left on the shot clock and hit a turnaround shot from near the sideline before running back to his bench in celebration.
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Embiid had as many as 33 points and 13 rebounds, helping the 76ers rally from a 17-point deficit. James Harden had 19 points and 10 assists before fouling out in the closing seconds of regulation.
Tyrese Maxey scored 19 points and Tobias Harris had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Sixers, who can wrap up the series in Game 4 on Saturday.
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Anunoby scored 26 points, Gary Trent Jr. had a playoff-high 24, and Precious Achiuwa had 20 for the Raptors.
Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet each had 12 points. VanVleet shot 3 for 13, going 2 for 10 from 3-point range.
Philadelphia never held a lead in regulation, finally grabbing a 99-97 edge on Maxey’s shot with 3:27 left in overtime.
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Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes sat for the second straight game because of the sprained left ankle that knocked him out of Game 1. Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Barnes is making progress and could return Saturday.
The 76ers, who shot at least 30 free throws in each of the first two games of the series, went 15 for 20 from the line in Game 3, with Embiid making six of nine attempts.
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Trent was limited to 10 minutes of action in Game 2 because of illness, and didn’t play in the second half Monday. He played 45 minutes Wednesday, shooting 9 for 19.
Philadelphia had two chances to win it in regulation, but Embiid missed a 3 and Harris couldn’t convert after grabbing the rebound.
The 76ers played without guard Matisse Thybulle. Philadelphia’s defensive specialist is not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, making him ineligible to cross the Canadian border. Thybulle also missed an April 7 regular-season loss to the Raptors.
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The Raptors hosted a postseason game north of the border for the first time since Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals against Golden State. The Warriors won that game, but Kevin Durant injured his Achilles tendon and the Raptors won the series in Game 6.
Anunoby scored 10 points in the first quarter and the Raptors led 29-19. Achiuwa scored five points as the Raptors widened their edge with a 9-2 run to start the second quarter, opening a 38-21 lead on Siakam’s basket with 9 1/2 minutes remaining in the half.
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