PHILADELPHIA 93 TORONTO 83
So much for the Toronto Raptors' first-quarter problems.
Andrea Bargnani scored 23 points while DeMar DeRozan added 19, but a horrendous second quarter led to a 93-83 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday.
Jose Calderon added 14 points and 11 assists as the Raptors (1-5) dropped their third straight.
Thaddeus Young, Nick Young and Jrue Holiday scored 16 points apiece to top the Sixers (4-2). Dorell Wright added 15 while Spencer Hawes finished with 12.
The Raptors have been plagued by poor first quarters, but it was a horrible second that proved costly Saturday. The Raptors led by 10 points midway through the first, but the Sixers outscored Toronto 40-11 to finish the first half with a 52-33 advantage. The Air Canada Centre crowd booed as the players trudged to the dressing room.
The Raptors shot a woeful 2-for-20 from the floor and scored just seven points in the second quarter - that had Raptors coach Dwane Casey screaming himself hoarse.
The Raptors, wearing their camouflage uniforms in honour of Remembrance Day, made a game of it in the third quarter, cutting Philly's lead to seven points heading into the fourth.
But Toronto's burst of energy was short-lived and when Nick Young drained a long jumper as the shot clock sounded with just over three minutes to play - putting the Sixers up by 17 points - plenty of fans tugged on their coats and headed for the exits.
The Raptors had one last gasp capped by a Calderon three-pointer with 1: 01 left that cut Philly's lead to 10 points, but it was too little too late for the home team.
The Raptors were missing starters Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields, Lowry with a sprained ankle and Fields with tenderness in his right hand.
Alan Anderson started in place of Fields but was carried off the court with a sprained left foot at end the third quarter.
The Sixers shot 47 per cent on the night to the Raptors' 38 per cent and outrebounded Toronto 46-35.
