Philadelphia 76ers even out the series with a dominant Game 2 win

After an ugly showing in Game 1, Jimmy Butler and the Philadelphia 76ers even up the series up at one-all with a 94-89 win in Game 2.

My friends, this series is anyone’s game.

After having to listen to pundits like Steven A. Smith ponder whether or not the Philadelphia 76ers would get straight up swept by the Toronto Raptors in the lead up to Game 2, Brett Brown‘s squad fired back in commanding fashion with a dominant 94-89 win on the Scotiabank Arena floor.

And it was one of the stranger basketball games you will ever see.

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I mean seriously, who would have imagined the Sixers winning a game where Joel Embiid only scored two buckets from the field, or where losing Greg Monroe to an ankle injury (more on that here) was borderline catastrophic?

Well, that’s just the kind of game we got, and frankly, fans in the 215 will take it.

With Embiid still limited due to a potent combination of injury and out-of-shapeness, the 76ers’ four other starters had to pick up the slack once more, and actually rose to the challenge after an ugly Game 1.

And it all started with ‘certified closer’ Jimmy Butler.

After being largely embarrassed by Kawhi Leonard in Game 1, with some questioning whether or not Butler should even be considered in the former’s defensive league, Butler came out and absolutely took over the fourth quarter; finishing out the game with a team-high 30 points on 22 shots from the field.

Now granted, Leonard still technically squeaked out ‘high man of the game’ honors by scoring 35 points on 24 shots, but his Game 1 foil Pascal Siakam‘s production dropped considerably; going from 29 points in 35 minutes of action, to 21 points in 40 minutes of action on 10 more shots.

After being defensively liable in Game 1, the 76ers locked all windows and doors in Game 2.

Was it a perfect outing? No way, as the team almost blew a 19 point lead following Monroe’s third-quarter ankle injury, and the 76ers collectively only hit 10 of their 35 3 point attempts, but Brett Brown clearly made enough adjustments to sneak past Nick Nurse‘s squad for a five-point win on his home turf.

And that, more so than anything else, should make fans in Philadelphia ecstatic about their team’s prospects against a much deeper opponent.

Next. Greg Monroe exits Game 2 with an ankle injury. dark

For the first time in his career, the Philadelphia 76ers beat a Kawhi Leonard-lead squad, bringing the series to the City of Brotherly Love all tied up at a game apiece. With three days to prepare for Game 3, let’s hope Brett Brown can take what worked in Game 2, sprinkle back in healthy Mike Scott and Greg Monroe, and keep the momentum in the Philadelphia 76ers’ court.