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Sixers-Raptors observations: Ben Simmons’ presence, Brett Brown’s coaching, bench scoring

The 76ers' reserves have outscored Toronto's in each of the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Ben Simmons (25) and other Sixers converge upon Kawhi Leonard (2) of the Raptors, forcing him to pass the ball in Game 2.
Ben Simmons (25) and other Sixers converge upon Kawhi Leonard (2) of the Raptors, forcing him to pass the ball in Game 2.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer

TORONTO — The 76ers defeated the Toronto Raptors, 94-89, Monday in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at Scotiabank Arena.

Here are some observations and best and worst awards:

Four observations

- Even though Kawhi Leonard had 35 points, the Sixers — primarily Ben Simmons — actually did a decent job of not letting him get all the way to the basket.

- The Raptors are not going to win the series if they don’t rebound. Toronto has been doing a terrible job on the boards. At halftime, Sixers backup center Greg Monroe had more offensive rebounds (three) than the Raptors (two).

- The Raptors’ bench has been a monumental disappointment this series. The Sixers’ bench outscored it, 26-5, Monday after having a 24-10 edge in Game 1. Bench scoring was supposed to be major advantage for Toronto.

- This was a good night for Brett Brown. The Sixers coach talked about making adjustment leading up to the game. One big adjustment involved having Joel Embiid guard Pascal Siakam.

Best and worst awards

- Best performance: This was an easy one. Jimmy Butler gets this in what was basically a bounce-back game. The Sixers swingman finished with a team-high 30 points to go with 11 rebounds and five assists to erase memories of his struggles in Game 1. Twelve of his points came in the fourth quarter.

- Worst performance: This goes to Serge Ibaka, The Raptors’ reserve center scored two points on 1-for-5 shooting. He had only one rebound, committed four fouls, and graded out at minus-12 in 13 minutes, 16 seconds. Toronto shooting guard Danny Green received a lot of attention for shooting 1-for-8. However, he had two steals and a block. Ibaka had a poor all-around game.

- Best defensive performance: Embiid gets this for his solid defensive effort on Siakam. The Raptors power forward needed 25 shots to score 21 points.

- Worst statistic: This goes to the Sixers’ 20 turnovers. They let the Raptors back into the game largely because of their turnovers.

- Best statistic: I have to give this to the Sixers’ shooting 92.3 percent (24-for-26) from the foul line.