The Philadelphia 76ers are in Detroit on Friday night to take on the Pistons in the second game of the Emirates NBA Cup Group B stage. The Sixers are coming off a win over Boston after the Pistons beat them by three points this past Sunday. The Pistons have been rolling this season, despite having an extensive injury list, and have beaten the Wizards and Bulls since last playing the Sixers. Both teams are rested, but the health of several key players on both teams will give this game a different feel.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (7-4) at Detroit Pistons (10-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. EST
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Mich.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
While it's still early in the season, the team has shown a different toughness in its games. Aside from an 11-point loss to the Cavaliers, the three losses have been very close, often coming down to a final possession. The team has won and lost games in this scenario throughout the start of the season, but the difference is that this year's team is truly fighting until the end. Last year's team would have rolled over, but Tyrese Maxey has the rest of the squad believing that they can win each game.
The problem for the Sixers is that there have been several games where they should've been able to run away with, but in the third quarter, the team seems to forget that they're playing basketball. It appears that the team makes no adjustments at halftime and instead waits until the fourth quarter to make the necessary corrections. While it's worked for the most part this year, it has to be corrected before they start finding themselves in holes that they can't climb out of.
With Jared McCain in the G-League for now (a good thing) and Joel Embiid and Paul George out with knee injuries, the Sixers would seem to be short-handed. Yet, players like Kelly Oubre Jr., Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, and, most notably, Justin Edwards, have all stepped up and contributed to the team's success against Boston. With Maxey, exciting rookie VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes, all playing a huge part, the Sixers' role players have been more effective than in seasons past, and it's resulting in a much more entertaining style of basketball as well as helping the team to increase its win total.
The Pistons are one of the teams that the Sixers can sympathize with, as Tobias Harris, Ausar Thompson, and Jaden Ivey are all listed as out for tonight, while Jalen Duran and Cade Cunningham are both questionable with injuries. The team, while short-handed, has just continued to build on last year's reasonable success and has quickly elevated itself to the top of the conference.
The team has been able to achieve its success by utilizing everyone in the lineup and getting contributions from its entire roster. While Cunningham and Duran are the obvious leaders and stars, they're leading a squad that has six players scoring in double figures, with four more very close. They have six players averaging more than five rebounds per game, and they're limiting turnovers and doing a lot of the little things that it takes to make teams great.
A big issue for tonight, especially against a Sixers team that's fairly healthy, will be whether Cunningham and Duran can play. If they're not, the Pistons still have an effective roster, but it will have a much harder time against the new-look Sixers.
The Sixers will be looking for a little revenge after losing to the Pistons at home this past Sunday. With VJ Edgecombe appearing on the injury report with back spasms, the team will have to rely heavily on Maxey and Grimes for their backcourt. If Edgecombe can play, you'll see the usual highlight plays that the rookie seems to make regularly.
While Embiid will miss the game, having Trendon Watford and the returning Dominick Barlow should help the front court of Kelly Oubre Jr. and Adem Bona, with the team running more as the group has shown a different level of athleticism this season. The final piece for the evening may just be Justin Edwards, who had a phenomenal game against Boston, missing only one shot all game. Edwards, having gained some confidence from his showing, could get moving in the right direction and be a huge piece for the team moving forward..
Maxey and Grimes should combine for over 60 points on the night, and the front-court trio of Oubre Jr., Barlow, and Watford may get the team 40 points and 20 rebounds. All of this won't matter if the team lets the Pistons fire from long range, at will, but this team seems to be the type of lineup that will step up on both ends of the court.
Sixers 119 - Pistons 112
