PHILADELPHIA - In enemy territory, and on the biggest stage for many of them, the young Toronto Raptors could have withered without their all-star point guard in Philadelphia on Monday night.
But in a season rife with injuries, the Raptors have learned to win with — and without — the guiding hand of Fred VanVleet.
Hours after VanVleet announced he was out for Game 5 with a strained left hip flexor, the Raptors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 102-88, holding off elimination for the second time in as many games. Now the Raptors head back home for Game 6, with the chance of sending the series to seven games and pulling off a comeback that’s never been done in NBA history.