January 12, 2026
John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images
Tyrese Maxey in just the first quarter on Monday: 18 points on seven shot attempts.
A lot can change in a day.
One night after losing to the Toronto Raptors in overtime with another horrid late-game collapse, the Sixers dominated the Raptors on their home floor Monday night, winning 115-10 and completing their season series with Toronto in a 2-2 tie.
The Sixers registered one of the best offensive performances across the NBA this season, shooting the lights out from beyond the arc and benefitting from multiple standout individual showings. They led by as many as 31 points in the first half alone, with a particularly ridiculous Tyrese Maxey heater kickstarting them.
VJ Edgecombe followed Maxey's lead with a three-point barrage, and Joel Embiid was also excellent, doing exactly what he should do: pummeling a undermanned, undersized Toronto frontcourt. Those three players led the charge in this one.
Embiid notched his first dunk of the season out of the way earlier this month in New York – and has had a few since – but had his first slam through traffic on Monday, inciting hysteria on the visiting bench with this one-handed rim-rocker:
JOEL EMBIID. pic.twitter.com/ZJIzmvF6QU
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 13, 2026
Takeaways from the Sixers' 22nd win of the season:
As Toronto completed its win over the Sixers on Sunday, rookie Alijah Martin taunted Maxey. The Raptors posted a video of it on their social media channels:
Wait for the end 💀 pic.twitter.com/w56rwLEarX
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 12, 2026
Maxey's response? A brilliant first quarter in which he made six of his seven shot attempts, scoring 18 points and talking enormous amounts of trash after every bucket. Maxey has tortured the Raptors like no other team in his NBA career and been particularly dominant playing in Toronto. He set the tone with his red-hot opening act, which set the table for Embiid to dominate a weak defensive interior.
Just about every member of the Sixers opened this game with three-point shooting success, but outside of Maxey it was the rookie Edgecombe whose brilliance from beyond the arc stood out the most. He knocked down four triples in the first half alone. It is remarkable how much he has improved as a shooter since his season at Baylor:
target practice. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/vx3WlxRVS2
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 13, 2026
Monday's game was, in all likelihood, the final time Kyle Lowry will suit up for an NBA game in Toronto. He has not officially announced that he is retiring after this season, though he said he wanted to play "one more" year at exit interviews in April. These teams could easily end up meeting in another playoff series, or even the Play-In Tournament. But there are no guarantees, with the likeliest scenario being that Lowry's next trip to Scotiabank Arena will be for the retirement of his No. 7 jersey.
The Raptors, as expected, pulled out many of the stops to express their appreciation for the greatest player in the history of their franchise:
This is the hallway leading up to the visitors’ locker room at Scotiabank Arena. These screens usually have Scotiabank logos on them. Today, before what could be his final game in Toronto, they’re a tribute to Kyle Lowry. pic.twitter.com/QCqWRxXbe4
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) January 12, 2026
While Vince Carter recently ended up becoming the first player to have his number retired in Toronto, it is inarguable among Raptors fans and historians that it is Lowry who has earned the title of "GROAT," the greatest Raptor of all time. Raptors fans spent much of the second half chanting "WE WANT LOWRY" until he finally checked in to receive a massive ovation with two minutes left in the game:
One more time, Kyle Lowry gives the people what they want: pic.twitter.com/sOxMg21zik
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) January 13, 2026
While Lowry was on the floor, Raptors fans turned into Sixers fans, desperate to see the 39-year-old get on the board. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse – whose connection with Lowry originated in Toronto – called a timeout and drew up some plays for Lowry, but he missed three quick three-point attempts. Lowry got to hold the ball as the clock expired, waving to the crowd and receiving one more standing ovation. A Raptors player even drew some boos for deflecting a pass intended for Lowry out of bounds. All of the love is for good reason:
Lowry was a brilliant player back in his day, one whose impact on winning was never properly quantified by traditional numbers. Toronto was, for a long time, the only place where his Hall of Fame-caliber career was properly appreciated. Now, one place Lowry is certainly appreciated: the Sixers organization. He has had a profound impact on the team and its players. Every young player looks to Lowry for guidance, and that includes Maxey, who credits Lowry for helping him find his voice as a leader.
"He's, like, my leader. He comes to me and leads me, and I try to lead the team," Maxey said in November. "So I couldn't do this without him, honestly, right now. He calls me at least three or four times a day and we talk. But it's good, though. I'm glad he's here and I appreciate him and we appreciate him."
Last week, Maxey raved about Lowry in a conversation with PhillyVoice, saying he takes "so much from him every single day." The Sixers rostering a player who rarely sees the court has become controversial around these parts, and to a degree it is understandable. But if you ask any other player on the team, Lowry does more than enough to justify a roster spot and the veteran's minimum salary.
Some additional notes:
• Paul George returned to action after missing Sunday's game with left knee soreness that caused him to be a last-minute scratch. And the night after he played 34 minutes in a surprise spot start, Kelly Oubre Jr. was back out there again, a great sign for his availability.
• After Adem Bona shined and Andre Drummond struggled on Sunday night, it was no surprise to see the 22-year-old sophomore return to the role of backing up Embiid. Nurse rides the hot hand there until it gets cold, then he starts switching things up.
• Speaking of Nurse, his leash on Jared McCain appears to be shortening. McCain did not enter this game until the middle of the second quarter, logging an unproductive stint of four minutes and change. As the Sixers continue to play important games against quality teams in the month ahead, it is becoming harder to justify playing McCain.
Up next: The Sixers will now return home, where they play their next six games. The first two will be battles against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and Friday.
