|
|
|
NO
Embiid,
No
Problem;
Sixers
Still
Seal the
Deal to
Beat
Pistons
117-111
By
Micah
Kristen
Tell Us
Detroit
Sports
DETROIT
- Once
again
the
Detroit
Pistons
came up
short
for the
third
time in
a row,
and the
Philadelphia
76ers
grabbed
the win
in the
end,
117-111,
on
Friday
night at
Little
Caesars
Arena.
Momentum
shifted
with 6
minutes
and 35
seconds
left to
go in
the
fourth
quarter,
when the
referee
blew the
whistle
and gave
coach
Dwane
Casey a
technical
foul.
Shooting
Guard JJ
Redick,
who had
18
points,
on
5-of-18
shooting,
hit a
big time
3-pointer.
Then the
onslaught
continued
with
Jimmy
Butler
and Ben
Simmons
hitting
huge
shots.
Simmons
tallied
his 18th
double-double
this
season
with 18
points,
14
rebounds
and six
assists.
Butler
tied a
season
high and
set a
game
high
with 38
points.
Both
teams
looked
to get a
much
needed
win.
Pistons(13-10)
were
coming
off two
bad
losses
against
the
Oklahoma
City
Thunder
and the
Milwaukee
Bucks.
The
76ers
(18-9)
lost to
the
Toronto
Raptors,
who hold
the
number
one spot
in the
Eastern
Conference
Standings.
Star
center
Joel
Embiid
didn’t
produce
much and
had a
lackluster
performance
scoring
only 10
points
in 36
minutes
against
the
Raptors.
Embiid
didn’t
play
tonight
due to
rest.
. The
Pistons
were
missing
key
players
due to
injuries,
with
Reggie
Bullock
being
out with
a left
ankle
sprain,
and Ish
Smith
with
right
adductor
muscle
tear.
Stanley
Johnson
out with
a sore
right
knee.
Out
the gate
the
Pistons
came
with a
sense of
urgency
in the
first
quarter
against
the
76ers
but it
didn’t
last
long.
Blake
Griffin
had 31
points
and 12
rebounds
with the
team
high.
Andre
Drummond
scored
21
points
with the
addition
of 10
rebounds.
The
Pistons
scoring
had been
effective
through
the
first
quarter
going
into
halftime
with a
12 point
lead,
68-56.
The
76ers
closed
the gap
quickly
in the
third
quarter
with
help
from the
backup
center
Mike
Muscala.
Muscala
was
7-of-13
from the
field,
had 18
points.
“I
just
think
collectively
they
found
another
place to
go,
especially
being
down 15
points
on the
road
without
Joel
Embiid,”
coach
Brett
Brown
said.
“You
have to
sort of
regroup
and stay
committed
and have
belief
that its
still
possible
to win
this
game.
For our
guys to
accomplished
that,
this
game in
itself
is a
statement
for us.
I’m just
very
proud of
our guys
effort.”
The
76ers
still
took
full
advantage
of the
Pistons
with one
of the
biggest
pieces
to the
puzzle
missing,
and now
leading
the
season
series
matchup,
(2-1).
The
Pistons
shooting
woes
continued,
shooting
7-for-28
from
3-point
range,
and to
put the
icing on
the
cake,
the
Pistons
turned
the ball
over 19
times.
The
Pistons
will
host the
New
Orleans
Pelicans
on
Sunday,
December
9th at
Little
Caesars
Arena.
|
|
|
|
|
|