Music: {allcanada} STRUGGLING RAPTORS RETURN HOME TO FACE 76ERS ON TSN

Saturday, November 10, 2012

{allcanada} STRUGGLING RAPTORS RETURN HOME TO FACE 76ERS ON TSN

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Sports Network) - The Toronto Raptors return home from a winless two-game road trip to face the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at Air Canada Centre.

Coverage begins with Raptors Game Day on TSN2 at 6:30pm et/3:30pm pt, followed by the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt.

On the recent mini-road trip, the Raptors fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder by 20 on Tuesday, then lost the next night in Dallas, 109-104.

Andrea Bargnani (25 points), DeMarr DeRozan (24 points) and Jose Calderon (11 points) anchored a late fourth-quarter comeback attempt that came up just a little short.

"I thought our guys did a heck of a job of fighting in the second half," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "The group we had in there, Andrea, DeMar, and Jose played with a purpose and momentum coming in. They really put us in a position to almost win the game after having a slow start. I like what I saw in the second half, but we have to do something about the first quarter."

In their last two outings, the Raptors have been outscored by 25 total points in the opening quarter.

Point guard Kyle Lowry, who leads the team in scoring, assists, steals and almost all shooting percentage categories imaginable, didn't practice Friday after spraining his right ankle against Dallas and will not play tonight. Forward Landry Fields is also out for the Raptors.

The 76ers are coming off an impressive 106-100 win over the Boston Celtics last night and look to close out a three-game road trip against the Raptors with a perfect record.

Before last night's win, Evan Turner said his team needed to shoot at least 40 percent from the floor.

The Philadelphia 76ers were close to 50 percent and shot 48.8 for the game in a 106-100 victory Friday night.

Philadelphia had its best offensive performance of the season and Turner led the way with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Turner has at least six rebounds in all five games. Jrue Holiday had a double-double of his own with 21 points and 14 assists for the 76ers, winners of two straight.

"This is probably one of our best games scoring wise," Holiday said after recording his third double-double of the season. "Those guys got out there and ran the floor and knocked down shots, big shots. I guess that just happens at the TD Garden."

This marked the first regular season meeting between the teams since Boston eliminated Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals in seven games last season. Philadelphia held off a late Boston rally and scored 26 fast- break points.

"I thought we hung in the game, kind of fought back," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, "but every time we needed a stop tonight, we didn't get it."

Dorell Wright and Thaddeus Young scored 15 points apiece in the win. Sixers guard Jason Richardson missed his third straight game with an ankle sprain and is expected to miss Saturday's game.

Following Saturday's game up north, the 76ers will head home for a five-game residency versus Milwaukee, Detroit, Utah, Cleveland and Toronto.

The 76ers have won four of the last five contests against the Raptors and three of the last four in Canada.