Inside the Article:
The Detroit Pistons struggled on both offense and defense in their 147-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by Joel Embiid and James Harden. Embiid had 36 points and 11 rebounds, while Harden recorded a triple-double of 16 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds.
Why it Matters
The Pistons, who have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, were without their leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic and their starting frontcourt of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Despite their shorthanded roster, the Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey recognized growth in his team on a daily and game-to-game basis, but still had to explain the loss.
By the Numbers: Detroit Pistons Vs. Philadelphia 76ers
- Embiid returned from a three-game absence with 36 points and 11 rebounds.
- Harden recorded a triple-double of 16 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds in just 26 minutes and 2 seconds of playing time, his fastest time at securing that feat.
- Bey, Ivey, and McGruder each scored 17 points for the Pistons.
- The 76ers scored a whopping 82 points in the paint and shot 61% overall from the floor.
What They’re Saying
“We didn’t want to mess around, just wanted to change things up,” – Joel Embiid
“It’s a lineup that we’re still evaluating defensively. Clearly, it’s a good offensive lineup. We just haven’t seen it a lot. We’ve had no `in-a-rows’ where they played six, seven, eight, nine in a row.” – Coach Doc Rivers
“I can see the growth on a daily, game-to-game basis. but then I have to come in and explain to everybody why we didn’t win. and that’s what’s tough. The easy part, the fun part is the daily, in the laboratory, coaching, teaching, film sessions, watching guys grow, listen to questions.” – Coach Dwane Casey
“We know how dominant we are. We know how great we can be,” – Tobias Harris.
Game Notes
The 76ers had a strong performance on both offense and defense, leading to their 13th win in the last 16 games. On the other hand, the Detroit Pistons struggled on both sides of the ball despite the recognition of growth by their coach Dwane Casey. Despite being shorthanded, the Detroit Pistons couldn’t buy a bucket and their defense was not good enough to stop Embiid and Harden. Coach Doc Rivers mentioned that the team is still evaluating the defensive aspect of their current lineup. The Detroit Pistons remain one game behind Houston in the race for the worst record in the league.
