TORONTO — One can point to a number of reasons why the Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Toronto Raptors 116-115 in overtime on Sunday. The Sixers got off to a slow start as they found themselves trailing by as many as 14 in the first half, got back in the game and led by as many as nine, but then saw a lead slip away.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 13 points–11 in the second half–and scored the first seven points of the third quarter. He was a big reason for the Sixers being in the position they were in to secure a victory, but he was also a big part of them blowing the lead late as he had a backbreaking turnover.
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“I think, well, to backtrack, I think putting two good halves together would definitely help us not be in that situation, but we rolled with the punches,” Oubre said. “We had a slow start, but we were able to pick it up in that second half, and when you’re on the road, obviously, the crowd gets involved, and it’s very high energy. They’re a good team, so we just have to be better at being disciplined and actually like just taking what we want. Not what they give us.”
As far as the turnover is concerned, Oubre tried to get it to VJ Edgecombe. The ball was knocked out of bounds and it was initially ruled Sixers ball, but Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic challenged the call and it was overturned to Toronto’s ball. The Raptors were then able to tie the game on a Jamal Shead shot.
“Obviously, I had a terrible turnover to VJ in the corner, but he was my only option that I could see,” Oubre explained. “Kyle (Lowry) told me Q (Quentin Grimes) was open, but he was far running from the basket. So yeah, we just got to be better, be more disciplined and just stay together in those moments where we’re facing a little bit of adversity, because we both made runs, but, you know, theirs was the final shot.”
It appeared that Oubre was eyeing Edgecombe the entire time as he was unable to look at other options on the inbounds play. He took accountability for that and will now have to learn from it.
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“VJ was there,” Oubre added. “His man was behind him, obviously, but I thought I could just get it to him, bounce it, and then hens gonna get fouled, which it was, like, a split second late, so, but yeah, in those moments. Like, it shouldn’t be one option. You should have multiple. So, just got to watch the film, learn from it, and make sure it never happens again.”
The Sixers will face the Raptors again on Monday night in Toronto.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. reacts to final possessions in loss to Raptors