Sixers takeaways: Big Three’s impact, Kyle Lowry’s ovation, and more in a win over the Raptors

It was evident from the beginning that the 76ers are a completely different team with the Big Three in the lineup.

On the road, there’s no better scorer than Tyrese Maxey.

VJ Edgecombe continues to display his shotmaking and versatility.

And they will always love Kyle Lowry in Toronto.

» READ MORE: Sixers ride 80-point first half, Tyrese Maxey’s 33 points to beat the Raptors 115-102

Those things stood out in Monday’s 115-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

Early in the season, some questioned if the Sixers played better without Joel Embiid. The team lost their first four matchup when the Big Three of Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George all played. So there were some doubts about the group’s ability to lead the squad.

But if the starts of the last two games they played together have proved one thing, it’s that the Sixers (22-16) are actually a way better team with them in the lineup.

The team looked lost without the full trio early on during Sunday’s 116-115 overtime loss to the Raptors (24-17). But on Monday, the Sixers looked like a bona fide Eastern Conference championship contender.

“Opened the floor up,” Maxey said to reporters about the presence of Embiid and George on Monday night. “And you’ve got to guard them. You’ve got to guard them every [second] out there on the court. That opened up the game for everybody else.”

Maxey scored 18 of his game-high 33 points in the first quarter in Monday’s rout. Embiid tallied 11 of his 27 points in the frame, while George had eight of his 15.

Following their lead, the Sixers shot 14-for-17 — including going 7 of 8 on three-pointers — and made all 10 free throws while ending the first quarter with a 45-28 advantage.

The Sixers built a commanding 31-point second-quarter cushion before taking an 80-51 halftime lead. Their 80 points were the most points of any half since scoring 80 in the first half against the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 13, 2022.

» READ MORE: Sixers mailbag: Will Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will Jared McCain be here after the trade deadline?

But Embiid (left knee injury management and left groin soreness) and George (left knee soreness) missed Sunday’s game. And the Sixers struggled mightily without them to start the game.

They shot 37.8% from the field — including making just 2 of 14 three-pointers — in the first half. They had six assists and nine turnovers in the half. The Sixers finished with 22 turnovers compared to just 11 assists that night.

On this night, they had 22 assists and 16 turnovers. Most important, the Sixers have won three straight and six of their last seven games when the Big Three play.

In addition to shooting 9-for-17, Embiid had eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and seven turnovers. Meanwhile, George made 5 of 13 shots, along with finishing with four rebounds, six assists, and one turnover.

Maxey is the league’s top road scorer, averaging 32.1 points in his 18 games away from Xfinity Mobile Arena. His highlight was the career-high 54 points scored against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 20.

But he had an impressive showing during this back-to-back series against Toronto. The All-NBA caliber point guard’s 33 points came after finishing with a game-high 38 on Sunday.

On Monday, Maxey made 10 of 16 shots — including shooting 6-for-9 on three-pointers — along with four rebounds, two assists, and one turnover. It was his 19th performance with at least 30 points.

Excelling on the road in hostile environments is a valuable trait, especially for a team that will play eight of its 11 games in February away from home.

» READ MORE: Don’t look now but the Sixers have turned a dire situation into a hopeful one behind their new Big Four

Edgecombe headed into Monday night’s game as the NBA leader in loose balls recovered with 45. He was also ninth in the league in steals at 1.6 per game. And the 6-foot-5 shooting guard ranked third among rookies in scoring average (16.1).

“VJ’s probably two biggest qualities, or one, he does a little bit of everything,” coach Nick Nurse told the media before Sunday’s game. “He really can defend. He makes plays. He’ll rebound and block shots, steal the ball. He’ll shoot threes and make big buckets. He does a lot of everything well.

“And two, he’s super composed. He kind of has the same demeanor all the time, same work ethic all the time. He walks around like a guy that’s been in the league 10 years.”

So it wasn’t surprising that Edgecombe’s versatility was on full display on Monday.

The 20-year-old scored 15 points on 5-for-6 three-point shooting. He also had a team-high eight assists, one steal, and two turnovers.

Lowry made his imprint as an NBA player during his nine seasons in Toronto. In Canada, he’s regarded as the greatest Raptors of all-time for being a six-time All-Star and leading the franchise to its only NBA title in 2019. And the fans still adore him whenever he returns to face his former squad.

Before Sunday’s game, Lowry spoke to the media for close to 10 minutes. He talked about everything from playing in his 20th season to mentoring the Sixers’ young players, his relationship with former Raptors teammates Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, and his thoughts on one day seeing his No. 7 Raptors jersey retired and hanging in the Scotiabank Arena rafters.

“If it does, it will be a super emotional day,” he told the media. “I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that 7. And to know it probably won’t ever be worn again will be pretty special. I think something for my basketball legacy is pretty, pretty, pretty darn cool.”

Lowry didn’t play on Sunday. But his appearance on Monday was one for the ages for the 39-year-old in his 20th NBA season.

» READ MORE: Kyle Lowry returns to Toronto as a Raptors legend and Sixers leader: ‘I embrace it, and they embrace me’

While he hasn’t mentioned anything about retirement, there’s a sense that this could be his last game played in that arena. And the 18,127 in attendance let the North Philly native know how much they still love him.

The Raptors fans began chanting ‘We want Kyle” in reference to Nurse inserting him into the day during the midway point of the fourth quarter. Then, with 2 minutes 30 seconds left, there were louder chants. Those chants continued until the Sixers inserted him with 1:57 left to a standing ovation.

He missed his three shot attempts, but got another standing ovation while holding the ball in the closing seconds. Lowry walked off the court clutching the game ball.

“It was a great team win for us,” Lowry said to reporters. “And, you know, I got an opportunity to experience probably one of the greatest basketball moments of my personal career.”