Game Thread: Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Good news for the Raptors after their historic loss to the Cavaliers: the era of full-on replacements appears to be over. Four key bodies have tested out of health and safety protocols over the last 24 hours — Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., Khem Birch and Malachi Flynn — and the team will welcome back Siakam, Trent Jr., and Flynn tonight.

Precious Achiuwa and Khem Birch both remain out due to conditioning, while Dalano Banton is a late scratch with a knee contusion. A minutes cap has been suggested for the players returning from protocols.

While the team’s injured list is still about as long as Homer’s Odyssey, we’re at least saved from an entire roster of G League guys taking on an Eastern Conference playoff team. The Sixers are 17-16, the clubhouse leaders in a morass of teams floating around .500, which the Raptors find themselves in, somehow, just 1.5 games back of sixth place.

Are we really talking about playoff implications for a late-December game when half the league is sick? Yes, because the conversation about fake basketball and a corrupt league is far too depressing to repeat day after day. We can recognize truths and still enjoy hoops, right? Right???

Here are the game details.

Where to Watch

Sportsnet, 7:30 PM ET

Lineups

Toronto — Malachi Flynn, Gary Trent Jr., Yuta Watanabe, Pascal Siakam, Chris Boucher

Philadelphia — Seth Curry, Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid

Injuries

Toronto — Dalano Banton (knee – out), Precious Achiuwa (conditioning – out), Khem Birch (conditioning – out), OG Anunoby (health and safety protocols – out), Scottie Barnes (health and safety protocols – out), Fred VanVleet (health and safety protocols – out), Isaac Bonga (health and safety protocols – out), Justin Champagnie (health and safety protocols – out), David Johnson (calf – out), Goran Dragić (personal – out)

Philadelphia — Andre Drummond (health and safety protocols – out), Danny Green (health and safety protocols – out), Shake Milton (health and safety protocols – out), Ben Simmons (personal – out)