Sixers blow it late, fall to Raptors 116-115 in OT

The Sixers had this game in their hands, then treated it like a live grenade.

Tyrese Maxey poured in 38 points, the Sixers were up four with 20 seconds left in regulation, and somehow they still walked out of Toronto with a 116-115 overtime loss to the Raptors on Sunday night.

Scottie Barnes hit the game-winning free throw with 0.8 seconds left in OT, then intentionally missed the second so Philly had no real chance to steal it back.

This was the first game of a mini-series back-to-back, and the Sixers got zero reward for surviving five extra minutes. They play the Raptors again Monday, which is either the perfect revenge setup or the exact kind of schedule spot that turns one frustrating loss into a two-game headache.

Shorthanded Sixers…

The context matters, but it does not excuse the ending. They were short-handed, sitting Joel Embiid for left knee injury management and left groin soreness. Paul George was a late scratch with left knee soreness. Toronto was missing RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, and Jakob Poeltl, so nobody gets to act like this was some unfair ambush.

The early stages looked like a game from a different era, and not in a good way. They could not make a jump shot to save their lives, and neither could Toronto. Jared McCain finally broke the ice late in the first quarter, but overall the teams combined to shoot 3-for-26 from three in the first half.

Jmac for threee! pic.twitter.com/LVUXiEYon6

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 11, 2026

Toronto did most of its damage in transition, pushed the pace, and built a 58-48 lead at halftime while the Sixers stumbled through another first-half brick festival.

Then the Sixers actually woke up. Kelly Oubre Jr. gave them a real jolt right after halftime, Maxey started cooking, and the Sixers flipped the game with a massive third quarter. They took the lead, entered the fourth up eight, and you could feel the Raptors getting tight.

Maxey +1 😤 pic.twitter.com/La4g70MJdZ

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 12, 2026

Philly got sloppy and loose with the ball, letting a winnable game turn into a sequence of self-inflicted wounds.

Maxey hit big shots late, including a three that put the Sixers up 107-103 with 20.1 seconds left, but the closing stretch was a mess. Toronto got a Quickley bucket, the Sixers coughed up an inbounds turnover, then the Raptors got extra possessions and eventually tied it. Jamal Shead hit the shot with 2.0 seconds left to force overtime.

Overtime was pure chaos. VJ Edgecombe, who had a rough offensive night overall, drilled a huge guarded three to tie it at 115. Then Barnes drove, drew contact, and ended it at the line. Barnes finished with 31 points, Maxey had 38, and the Sixers walked away with the worst kind of loss because it was right there.

in the CLUTCH! 🥶 pic.twitter.com/6CBInLL3Wm

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 12, 2026

This one is going to come down to the same word it always does when the Sixers lose these games. Execution. Not the cute kind. The basic kind. Get the ball in. Secure the rebound. Do not give away possessions like you are running a charity.

Philly had 22 turnovers and only 11 assists, which tells you exactly how messy the offense got when the game tightened up.

Now they get Toronto again Monday. Bring the same Maxey aggression, clean up the late-game details, and make sure this does not turn into a two-night spiral. Losing by one in overtime stings, but losing twice to the same team in two nights is how a season starts feeling heavier than it needs to.

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