When they play the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, the Toronto Raptors have a chance to get their act together away from home.
With a 106-92 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday, the Raptors (38-38) ended a 3-1 homestand and reached.500 for the first time since going 13-13 on Dec. 9.
While they are just 12-24 on the road, they are 26-14 at home. They start the game on Thursday in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
The final home game for Toronto is April 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Philadelphia has a 2-1 advantage over Toronto in the series.
On Wednesday, the visiting Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the 76ers (50-26), 116-108, for their second victory in six games. Joel Embiid and James Harden were back in the lineup for the 76ers, who finished third in the Eastern Conference.
In the second quarter, the Mavericks led by as many as 12 points and led 91-89 into the fourth before the 76ers took over to end a three-game losing streak.
The 76ers were coming off a trip that started 1-3 and ended with a 116-111 defeat at Denver on Monday.
Harden had 15 points, 12 assists, and 4 rebounds, while Embiid had 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. 22 points were scored by Tyrese Maxey.
Embiid stated that he felt “good enough” about his tight calf. He had missed the Denver game.
He stated that for the remainder of the season, he anticipates some discomfort.
O.G. Anunoby added 22 points and Pascal Siakam scored 26 points for Toronto in the game against Miami.
Barnes impressed Raptors coach Nick Nurse, who expects Barnes to be a key player in the final few games.
