Sixers turn it on late, claw past Raptors

Special to the Phanatic


Nick Young and Jason Richardson scored 23 and 21 points, respectively, as the Philadelphia 76ers used a late surge to take down the Toronto Raptors, 106-98.

Jrue Holiday added 19 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and three steals for the Sixers, who have won three in a row. Thaddeus Young ended with 18 points and seven boards.

"I told my players to remember this win," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "We had a lot of fight in the fourth quarter. I'm very proud of them."

DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani had 24 and 22 points, respectively, for the Raptors, who fell to 1-5 on the road this season. Jose Calderon donated 13 points and 12 assists.

Trailing by six, 92-86, with 5:29 to play, Nick Young made a pair of 3- pointers and Thaddeus Young put in a layup to put the Sixers ahead by two.

It remained a two-point contest after Amir Johnson and Holiday made shots for their respective teams. Kyle Lowry followed with a jumper from inside the lane to make it 96-96 with 1:58 to go.

Richardson, who suffered a head contusion in the third quarter, recorded a three-point play to put Philadelphia back on top. After Lowry missed a pair of foul shots, Richardson made a 3-pointer from the corner to make it a 102-96 contest with 1:20 left.

The Sixers kept the momentum as Nick Young blocked Lowry. Thaddeus Young made a layup at the other end to cap an 8-0 run by the home team.

Bargnani's hook shot and Thaddeus Young's slam accounted for the final margin.

"We had control of the game and we've got to make basketball plays," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said.

Toronto led by as many as 10 in the first quarter and took a 29-22 margin into the second.

The Sixers went on an 11-2 run late in the second stanza to tie the game at 46. It was 51-51 at the half.

Down 65-64 with 5:36 remaining in the third frame, Toronto used a 12-0 surge to take the lead again. Bargnani bookended the burst with a jumper and 3- pointer to make it a 76-65 game.

The Raptors took an 80-73 margin into the fourth.

Notes: Philadelphia improved to 2-0 against the Raptors this season...The Sixers went 3-2 on a five-game homestand...Toronto started a three-game road trip on Tuesday...Lowry had 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.