3 observations after the Sixers earn a resounding, wire-to-wire victory over the Pistons originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers earned a resounding shorthanded victory Saturday night in Detroit.
They notched a 111-96 victory over the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena, improving to 4-14 on the season. Detroit fell to 9-13.
Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and six assists.
KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV have been exceptional on the bench for the Sixers. Martin had a season-high 19 points as a Sixer on 7-of-8 shooting. He also had six rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
Council recorded 17 points and five rebounds.
Paul George returned from a three-game absence with a bruised left knee and had 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes.
The Sixers were missing Joel Embiid (left knee injury management/personal reasons), Caleb Martin (upper back soreness), Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain) and Reggie Jackson (right knee soreness). Andre Drummond suffered a sprained right ankle in the first quarter and did not return.
Cade Cunningham (left sacroiliac joint sprain) was a late scratch for a Pistons team playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Sixers will next face the Hornets on Tuesday night in Charlotte. Here are the observations from their decisive victory on Saturday:
The Sixers suffer yet another injury
The Sixers opened their second straight game with Guerschon Yabusele and Drummond in the frontcourt. Jared McCain, who had started the team’s last seven games, served as the backup point guard.
George’s decision-making was strong at first. He drove and sent the ball to Kelly Oubre Jr. for the first basket of the night, then threw a successful alley-oop to Drummond.
After a tip-off from Drummond, he appeared to step on Tobias Harris’ foot and fell to the ground in pain, grabbing his right ankle. Teammates Justin Edwards and Council helped him return to the locker room with 8:27 left in the first quarter. Unsurprisingly, the Sixers officially ruled Drummond out of the game early in the second quarter.
Drummond’s release led to rookie Adem Bona’s first NBA action outside of trash time since the Sixers defeat against the Cavs on November 13.
Seconds after Bona arrived, George set him up for a dunk. The Sixers started hot at three points and a more supportive Oubre on a solid Bona ball screen allowed the team to lead 22-7.
Bona was penalized for two offensive fouls in the first half – a moving screen and a hard bump as he looked to establish position in the post – but he handled it pretty well. The UCLA product knew where to position himself defensively, protected the rim effectively, worked diligently on the glass and didn’t seem at all overwhelmed by the sudden move to a significant role. He finished with four points, five rebounds and three blocks in 20 minutes.
Council and Martin increase the stock again
Wednesday night saw the Board record a season-high 12 points Sixers defeat in overtime against the Rockets. He surpassed that figure in Saturday’s first half.
Upon arrival, Council snagged a missed Bona free throw and converted an and-one layup. Both Council and KJ Martin were dangerous in the open field and eager to attack the rim. Martin turned a block into a bucket from coast to coast. Council went ahead and forced defenders to foul him, as he had done on several occasions. impressive performance as a rookie. Council made two free throws for the final points of the first quarter, giving the Sixers a 37-20 lead.
This advantage narrowed in the second quarter. Maxey was a little off his game from midrange and around the hoop, shooting 3-for-12 from the floor in the first half. Facing a tight, physical defense, McCain didn’t attempt a shot for 13 minutes in the first half.
Malik Beasley’s jumpers also helped Detroit get back into the game. His fourth three-pointer of the night was particularly deep and cut the Pistons’ deficit to 54-50.
Thanks in large part to Council and Martin, the Sixers avoided losing their lead completely. Council scored a timely three-pointer and Martin knocked down an Isaiah Stewart layup at the first-half buzzer. Martin started the second half and capped a 7-0 Sixers run with a left snap.
Overall, Saturday’s game was certainly further reason to believe that energetic and ultra-athletic players like Martin and Council are currently deserving of significant minutes for the Sixers.
Stellar night for Sixers youth
Maxey firmly pushed his team back to a double-digit lead early in the third quarter.
The All-Star guard made two triples and three layups. He also assisted on some Martin hoops, including an easy dunk out of the pick-and-roll. At this point, it’s rare for Maxey to be noticeably affected by missed jumps and bad bounces. He’s become accustomed to maintaining his aggression and confidence when the Sixers need him as their first offensive option.
McCain scored his first basket late in the third quarter, making a short jumper that extended the Sixers’ lead to 84-62. The Pistons never threatened a comeback and the Sixers’ defensive efforts did not fail. Late in the third quarter, McCain closed just over Ron Holland II, who nailed a corner three as the shot clock expired.
On a team made up of veteransthe youth of the Sixers seriously shone Saturday night. For much of the fourth quarter, Oubre, 28, was the oldest Sixer on the court. Maxey (24), Martin (23), Council (23) and Bona (21) were all key figures in Detroit.
