Jared Rhoden’s double-double leads Raptors past 76ers 118-105 in first career start

TORONTO – Jared Rhoden had a double-double in his first career NBA start to lead the Toronto Raptors past the Philadelphia 76ers 118-105 on Wednesday as both teams put out depleted lineups.

Rhoden hit career highs with 25 points and 12 rebounds as Toronto (23-43) won back-to-back games.

Reserve centre Orlando Robinson also had a double-double with a career-high 25 points and pulled 12 rebounds. A.J. Lawson of Brampton, Ont., came off the bench for 28 points, six boards and four assists.

Quentin Grimes led the visitors with 29 points as Philadelphia (22-43) lost its second game in a row.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 13 points and five rebounds and former Raptor Jeff Dowtin Jr. had 20 points.

Toronto’s win put Philadelphia half a game behind the Raptors in the standings. That gives the 76ers the fifth-best odds in the upcoming NBA Draft lottery.

Four of Toronto’s usual starters were unavailable.

Immanuel Quickley (rest), RJ Barrett (personal reasons) of Mississauga, Ont., Scottie Barnes (sprained finger on right hand), and Gradey Dick (right knee bone bruise) all did not play. A total of nine Raptors were inactive for the game.

The 76ers were similarly undermanned, with eight players out.

Takeaways

76ers: Poor shooting, especially from three-point range, submarined Philadelphia’s chances. They were 41 for 96 (42.7 per cent) on field goals but 7 for 35 (20 per cent) from beyond the arc.

Raptors: A strong showing in the second quarter built Toronto a 22-point lead that they squandered in the third, with Philly outscoring the Raptors 31-20 in that period. Toronto didn’t use a traditional point guard in the third, coughing up the ball 10 times and finishing the game with 22 turnovers.

Key moment

Rhoden came alive in the second quarter, scoring 12 points in 9:32 of play. He was instrumental in an 11-4 run to start the period.

Key stat

A total of 17 players from Raptors and Sixers were out for the game due to injury or to rest. The 17 inactive players will make a combined US$268 million this season, or 77 per cent of the team’s payrolls.

Up next

Toronto: The Raptors embark on a four-game road trip starting with the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Philadelphia: The Sixers return home to host the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2025.