Gary Trent Jr and Fred VanVleet inspire Toronto Raptors to victory
Gary Trent Jr and Fred VanVleet drilled a pair of clutch threes to help the Toronto Raptors overcome the Philadelphia 76ers 115-109.
The Sixers were still without a number of key players due to Covid-19 protocols, but began the game strongly to take a five-point advantage into the break.
However, they were outscored by the Raptors 29-21 in the third and ultimately ran out of scoring options down the stretch, with Trent Jr and VanVleet’s late three pointers condemning Philadelphia to a third straight loss.
The pair combined for 52 of Toronto’s points, while Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 33.
The Miami Heat got off to a fast start but faded as they lost 112-109 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The visitors stormed out of the gates with a 40-point first quarter before the Clippers clawed their way back into the contest.
Toronto Raptors´ Fred VanVleet, left, tries to get past Philadelphia 76ers´ Tyrese Maxey (Matt Slocum/AP)
Reggie Jackson’s 22 points off the bench proved pivotal in the win, while Miami were left to rue a woeful night from beyond-the-arc.
Elsewhere, the Indiana Pacers handed the Utah Jazz their first home defeat of the season with a 111-100 win.
