Leave it to Tyrese Maxey to score 15 fewer points than two nights earlier and still turn in a historic performance.
Leave it to Joel Embiid to go scoreless in the second quarter and score three points in the fourth quarter and still turn in a historic performance.
Leave it to Tobias Harris to produce a quiet 39 minutes of efficiency that may have gotten overlooked but definitely was still a historic performance.
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READ: Sixers run all over Raptors, extend first-round series lead to 2-0
The 76ers took a 2-0 lead over the Raptors in their Eastern Conference first-round series Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center with their second consecutive win by at least 15 points.
You want history? We’ve got plenty of it.
IT’S ONLY BEEN 44 YEARS: The 76ers “only” won by 15 points after leading by as many as 29, but coming off a 20-point win over the Raptors in Game 1, this is the first time in 44 years the 76ers have won each of the first two games of a playoff series by at least 15 points. Last time it happened – and the only other time - was the first two games of the 1978 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks at the Spectrum. The 76ers won Game 1 by 40 points (130-90) and Game 2 by 19 points (119-100) on the way to a four-game sweep.
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WHAT DOES A 2-0 SERIES LEAD MEAN? The Sixers have won 17 straight series when they’ve gone up 2-0, and they’re 29-1 in franchise history in the postseason with a 2-0 lead. Last time they blew a 2-0 series lead was the 1977 NBA Finals against Portland, when they lost four straight after winning the first two games. This is only the second time in the 76ers’ last 15 postseason series they’ve taken a 2-0 lead. Overall in NBA history, teams that go up 2-0 in a seven-game series win 92 percent of those series (302 of 327).
DOUBLE THE HISTORY: In the last 34 years, only one 76er had recorded consecutive playoff games with at least 20 points and 64 percent shooting in both games. That was Joel Embiid last year in Games 2 and 3 of the first-round series against Washington. Now, the 76ers have had two players do it in the same two games – and neither one is Embiid. Tyrese Maxey has 38 and 23 points in the first two games on 67 percent and 73 percent shooting, and Tobias Harris has had 26 and 20, shooting 64 percent in both games. The only other 76ers in history with back-to-back playoff games with 20 points and 64 percent shooting are Doug Collins, Maurice Cheeks and Roy Hinson. Roy Hinson?
MAXEY IS PREPOSTEROUS: Maxey is shooting 69 percent so far in the Raptors series on 22-for-32 with 61 points through two games. That ties the highest shooting percentage by a 76er on 30 shots through two games of any postseason series in franchise history. Julius Erving was an identical 22-for-32 the first two games of the 1982 Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Bucks.
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ANOTHER HUGE QUARTER: Embiid’s 19 first-quarter points are the most by any 76er in the first quarter of a playoff game as far back as Stathead’s database is searchable by quarters, which is the 1996-97 season. The previous high for a first quarter during that 26-year span was Embiid’s 17 in Game 5 of the Atlanta series last year. In the last 26 years, only three 76ers have scored 19 points in any postseason quarter: Allen Iverson five times, Maxey Saturday and Embiid Monday. Embiid was 4-for-6 from the field and 11-for-12 from the foul line in the first quarter.
CHASING WILT AND DOLPH: Embiid finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds, his 10th career playoff game with 30 points and 10 rebounds. That’s 3rd-most in 76ers history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain (14) and Dolph Schayes (13). Embiid is now averaging 23.6 points and 11.3 rebounds in 36 career playoff games. The only other players in NBA history at those plateaus who’ve played at least 10 career playoff games are George Mikan, Bob Petit, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
UNPRECEDENTED FROM DEEP: The 76ers shot 50 percent from 3 in Game 1 on 16-for-32 and 47 percent from 3 in Game 2 on 14-for-30. This is the first time in 76ers playoff history they’ve taken at least 30 3’s in consecutive playoff games and hit at least 47 percent in both. In fact, they’ve only shot 47 percent on 30 or more 3’s in consecutive games four times in franchise history in the regular season, including games against the Pacers and Raptors earlier this month. According to Stathead, they’re only the seventh team in NBA history to shoot 47 percent in back-to-back games in a playoff series. In playoff games where they’ve attempted 30 or more 3’s, Saturday and Monday now rank 3rd and 4th in 76ers history, behind only a 2018 game in Miami (.529) and Washington last year (.515).
VANVLEET JUST MISSED ANOTHER ONE: Fred VanVleet’s 16 3-point attempts (with just five makes) are most ever against the 76ers in a playoff series and 4th-most in any game. The previous high was Reggie Miller’s 14 in Game 1 of the 76ers’ 2001 first-round series against the Pacers. VanVleet’s 11 misses from deep are also the most ever against the 76ers in a playoff game. Nick Anderson of the Magic missed 10 when he shot 2-for-12 from 3 against the 76ers in a 1999 first-round game in Orlando. VanVleet was 4-for-6 from 3 in the first quarter, then missed nine straight before hitting his final 3. In the second quarter alone, he was 1-for-9 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3 and minus-16 in 12 minutes.
PUTTING THEM AWAY EARLY: On Saturday night, the 76ers led by 18 points at halftime and Monday night they led by 15. This is the first time in franchise history they’ve led the first two games of any postseason series by 15 points at halftime. And in both games, they’ve led by at least 19 points through three quarters. Not surprisingly, it’s also the first time in 76ers history they’ve led the first two games of a series by 19 points going into the fourth quarter. They’ve also outscored Toronto by at least 10 points in both second quarters, the first time they’ve ever done that in the first two games of a series.
AND THE OBLIGATORY HARDEN STAT: James Harden finished with 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. He did, however, shoot just 3-for-9 from the field, and he’s now gone eight straight games under 44 percent shooting with at least nine field goal attempts. That’s the 9th-longest streak of games shooting worse than 44 percent in franchise history and the longest since Isaiah Canaan went nine straight during the 2016 Process season. The only other players in 76ers history with longer streaks below 44 percent are Iverson, Fred Carter, Derrick Coleman and Hal Greer.