Daily News | Rebounding and transition defense will be crucial for the Sixers in playoff series against the Raptors
Less than four minutes into the 76ers’ playoff opener against the Toronto Raptors, Tyrese Maxey snagged an offensive rebound off a Tobias Harris missed step-back and dished to James Harden for a three-pointer at the top of the key. On the ensuing possession, Harris swiped the ball from the Raptors’ OG Anunoby and kicked it ahead to Maxey for crowd-igniting dunk.
It was quite the about-face from the Sixers’ previous 82 games, and in their four prior matchups against Toronto. Saturday night, the Sixers regularly kept all five defenders in the vicinity to finish possessions with the rebound. That they committed only three turnovers squashed the Raptors’ opportunities to get out in the open court for easy buckets. MVP contender Joel Embiid, who finished with 15 boards, called that area one of his priorities in the game.
Because rebounding and transition play are connected. Conventional wisdom and history say that pace slows down in the playoffs, but Rivers expected going into the series that the Raptors would “try to play the same.” One way to attempt to stop fast-break opportunities is by sending fewer players to the glass so they can get back on defense, but that does not appear to be a realistic option against this Raptors team.
To counter those lineups, second-year big man Paul Reed was the backup center Saturday night. Rebounding is also his specialty, a skill he said he “was born with.” He totaled four rebounds in 11 minutes Saturday, after grabbing seven in an April 7 loss in Toronto while stepping into the role that has been most often occupied by DeAndre Jordan since he was signed off the buyout market.
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