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Philadelphia 76ers v Toronto Raptors
2021-22 NBA Pre-Season
Friday 8 October 2021
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tip-off at 01:00
The Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors will continue their build-up to the 2021-22 NBA when they meet in a Pre-Season clash at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the morning of Friday 8 October 2021. Tip-off is at 01:00.
The 76ers will be looking to improve on their fine showing in the 2020-21 season, when they finished atop the Eastern Conference and reached the semifinals of the Conference Playoffs, losing 4-3 in their epic series against the Atlanta Hawks.
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Yet Philadelphia have had something of a cloud hanging over them, with a recent dispute between the franchise and point guard Ben Simmons causing friction ahead of the new season. “The situation is disappointing, borderline kind of disrespectful to all the guys that are out here fighting for their lives,” said star man Joel Embiid. “I feel like our teams have been built [...] I feel like [Simmons] always had it here. And we still have it... Our teams have always been built around his needs.”
The Raptors, meanwhile, had a terrible 2020-21 season, as they went 27-45 to finish 12th in the Eastern Conference and nowhere near the Playoffs. One of the reasons for their struggles was a ban on playing in Toronto due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning their ‘home’ games were played in Tampa, but the Canadian authorities recently gave the green light for them to return to the Scotiabank Arena.
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Key man Goran Dragic, meanwhile, says he is looking forward to leading the young Toronto squad: “I'm a professional, playing in this league for 14 years, so I love basketball. I'm gonna do everything that it takes to be part of this team and to help young players to grow.”
In head-to-head stats, the 76ers and the Raptors have met in 113 Regular Season and Playoff games since 1995-96, with Toronto claiming 65 wins compared to 48 for Philadelphia. The teams’ last meeting was in February 2021, with the 76ers winning 109-102.
Philadelphia 76ers v Toronto Raptors – Regular Season Head-to-head
Games played: 113
76ers wins: 65
Raptors wins: 48
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