Philadelphia 76ers: 3 keys to a Game 3 win over the Toronto Raptors

3. Get Mike Scott back healthy

While the Philadelphia 76ers found a way to win Game 2 thanks in large part to a dominant performance by James Ennis, Mike Scott’s return could be the deciding factor between an Eastern Conference Finals appearance and an early vacation.

Arguably the team’s fourth-best shooter and fourth best defender, Scott is a 3-and-D combo forward capable of covering opposing players 2-4 while even being able to play some small ball center in the Sixers’ ‘death lineup’.

With a pair of athletic forwards capable of taking over a game in Pascal Siakam and of course Kawhi Leonard, Brown could seriously use a player like Scott coming off the bench to help shoulder the burden of defending the duo for the better part of 40 minutes, and give players like Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris a much-needed break.

And after hitting that beautiful game-winning 3 pointers that all but ended the Nets’ hopes of playoff advancement, it’s safe to say the team could also use Scott’s shot.

With the team hitting roughly 31.3 percent of their outside shots in their first two games against the Raptors, in large part due to Ennis and Jonah Bolden‘s inability to get things done coming off the bench, reincorporating a player like Scott back into the fold could not only alleviate the starting lineup’s overuse, but give Brett Brown another veteran shooter.

If his pesky heel can get right, the ‘Mike Scott Hive’ could finally make its return to the City of Brotherly Love.