TORONTO – In a career-best offensive night, Jared Rhoden was still focused on what he had done defensively.
Rhoden hit latest highs with 25 points and 12 rebounds to steer the Toronto Raptors to a 118-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday for the primary double-double of his NBA profession. However it was his 4 steals — also a profession high — that he said was essentially the most memorable a part of his night.
“I feel that’s something that I actually take pride in, something that I look to the sport to see how I affected the sport,” said Rhoden. “That’s going to be my calling card within the NBA.
“I could rating as many points as I need, but I do know that to ensure that me to sustain myself, I actually have to play defence.”
Making a reputation for himself is what Rhoden — and just about all of his Raptors teammates — were attempting to do against the Sixers.
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The 2 teams had a combined 17 players unavailable to play. That included 4 of Toronto’s usual starters with Immanuel Quickley (rest), RJ Barrett (personal reasons) of Mississauga, Ont., Scottie Barnes (sprained finger on right hand), and Gradey Dick (right knee bone bruise) all out.
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A complete of nine Raptors were inactive for the sport.
Put more succinctly, the one players that stepped on the court for Toronto on Wednesday with greater than 100 NBA games under their belts were centre Jakob Poeltl and backup forward Garrett Temple. Everyone else was a rookie, on a two-way deal, or a 10-day contract.
“People at all times say the NBA is about opportunities, it’s never in regards to the talent,” said Rhoden. “I feel what you’re seeing now could be, what persons are able to doing once they get opportunities, and that’s what the NBA is all about, and it’s the way you capitalize on those probabilities.”
Orlando Robinson, on a two-way, had a career-high 25 points and matched his career-best with 12 rebounds. Colin Castleton, on a 10-day deal, had a career-high 14 rebounds and 7 points.
A.J. Lawson of Brampton, Ont., also on a two-way, had 28 points a game after scoring a career-high 32.
“I haven’t seen that before and it is vitally special,” said head coach Darko Rajakovic on the impressive play of Toronto’s depth players. “It just shows what an amazing job the front office is doing of bringing those guys on and our (G-League’s Raptors) 905 bringing guys there, getting them incorporated within the system.
“Then you definitely see those guys step on the ground and contribute to that.”
Robinson has also played for the Miami Heat organization and the Sacramento Kings and their G-League club.
“It’s all in regards to the situation,” said Robinson. “Then when you get the chance, it’s as much as you to make the most of that chance.
“Guys like A.J., myself and JR, that’s what we’re doing, making the most of the chance so that you just don’t sleep on us.”
Toronto’s win put Philadelphia half a game behind the Raptors within the standings. That offers the 76ers the fifth-best odds within the upcoming NBA Draft lottery.
The Raptors have the seventh-worst record within the NBA, with a 31.9 per cent likelihood of getting a top-four pick on this summer’s draft and a 7.5 per cent likelihood at the primary overall selection.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
