NBA: Embiid, George fuel Philadelphia to get back at Toronto

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Philadelphia 76ers convincingly exacted their revenge on the Toronto Raptors during their rematch, 115-102, in the ongoing NBA regular season on Jan. 13, 2026.

After losing a one-point game during their last encounter, the 76ers came back at full strength and received huge contributions from the returning duo of Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Embiid, who missed their first matchup due to left groin soreness, dominated the shaded lane and ended up the revenge win with 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Meanwhile, George, who was also sidelined last game due to left knee soreness, chipped in 15 points, six assists and four rebounds in just 28 minutes of action.

The game quickly went out of hand for the Raptors when Philadelphia immediately blew it wide open with a 23-point lead in the first quarter.

Embiid set the tone for the 76ers after pummeling his way inside the paint, backstopped by Tyrese Maxey’s hot shooting, as he went unconscious with three early 3-pointers.

Despite Brandon Ingram’s offensive barrage at the start of the second quarter, Philadelphia still managed to keep it up, courtesy of George’s timely shooting and VJ Edgecombe’s two-way tenacity.

All hell broke loose when the trio of Embiid, Maxey and George did damage in the remaining four minutes before halftime, as their unstoppable offensive display ballooned the 76ers’ lead to 29 points heading into the third quarter, 80-51.

With hampered body language and inefficient shooting from the field, the Raptors failed to trim their deficit to single digits, allowing the 76ers to run at them while protecting their massive cushion until the final buzzer sounded.

Maxey top-scored for the 76ers for the second consecutive game, dropping 33 points on efficient 10-of-16 shooting from the field, along with four rebounds and two assists.

Edgecombe, who spearheaded Philadelphia’s rally in the second quarter, finished with 15 points, eight assists, two rebounds and a steal.

The 76ers will look to maintain their momentum on Jan. 15, 2026, as they return home to the Xfinity Mobile Arena to face Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Raptors aim to return to the win column on the same date against the Indiana Pacers.