DETROIT — The Philadelphia 76ers invaded the Little Caesars Arena on Friday night looking to pick up an important win in NBA Cup play. The Sixers entered the contest with an 0-1 record in Group B play and had a tall task against the red hot Detroit Pistons who entered on an 8-game winning streak.
The Sixers trailed by nine at halftime, but opened the third on a 23-5 blitz that allowed them to take control of the contest, but the short-handed Pistons dug deep and walked away with a 114-105 win over the Sixers. Detroit was missing Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, and others in this one.
Maxey had 31 points and six rebounds for Philadelphia. VJ Edgecombe had 18 points and seven rebounds, Andre Drummond had 12 and 11 rebounds, Quentin Grimes added nine points, and Dominick Barlow had 10 points and eight rebounds in his return to the floor. Justin Edwards added 13 off the bench.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: A-minus
With the Pistons missing Ausar Thompson in this one, it allowed Maxey to get free a bit for open looks against this Detroit defense. The problem is, Maxey had a tough time really converting on those open looks as everything just looked to be a bit short. He had a couple go in and out, but he had a tough time with his efficiency in the early going in this one. He was much better after halftime as he was aggressively hunting his shots and was able to give the Sixers the leadership they needed to turn the early deficit into a double-digit lead. They just weren’t able to finish it.
VJ Edgecombe: B-plus
Entering the game as questionable due to back spasms, Edgecombe shook that off and knocked down two triples early which is a good sign for him when considering his recent slump. That shooting ability gave the Sixers a big lift early to provide spacing on the offensive end. While did pick up some silly fouls, he knocked down some big shots in the fourth, and the Sixers will take his production in this one. He needed a good performance when considering his slump.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: Incomplete
It was a tough start for Oubre as he missed a lot of open looks that Philadelphia was able to generate for him. To his credit, he did other things on the floor to make an impact, but the Sixers really needed him to knock down those open looks against this physical Detroit team. He ended up leaving the game at halftime due to a hyperextended left knee.
Trendon Watford: C
The veteran out of LSU gave the Sixers an edge in this one against a Pistons team that likes to get physical and talk a lot of trash. Watford got into it with Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and let him know that the Sixers were not going to be pushed around in this one. As far as the basketball is concerned, he showed off his basketball IQ on numerous occasions to make sure the Sixers got some easy looks in this one. Overall, however, it wasn’t a great shooting night and he had a tough time defensively.
Andre Drummond: B-plus
This was another solid Drummond game. He was a presence on the glass—per usual—and he was able to carve out space down low for putbacks offensively and to get himself easy looks. He knocked down two triples in the game-changing third quarter that allowed the Sixers to take control of this contest while also making plays on the defensive end. He was a big help after half for Philadelphia.
Dominick Barlow: A
The Sixers missed Barlow’s energy, athleticism, and ability to make an impact in more ways than one. He was terrific in his return to the floor as he knocked down a triple early and then made numerous plays on the glass and had an impressive block in transition. He got the start in the second half and knocked down another 3 in the early going and created many extra possessions for Philadelphia. He was hugely important in this one.
Justin Edwards: A
The Sixers have needed Edwards’ ability to hop off the bench and put the ball in the basket at a high level. He pumped in two quick triples in his initial stint and made the Pistons have to adjust in terms of how they defended him. That allowed the floor to be spaced and allowed others to do what they do.
Quentin Grimes: B-minus
The initial stint for Grime didn’t produce any buckets as he missed some wide-open 3s, but he was able to put the ball on the floor, and create for others as he did come up with a number of assists in the early going. He was huge after halftime as he got a 3-ball to fall and he was able to put the Sixers in a great position with his ability to score the ball and give Philadelphia help on the perimeter.
Adem Bona: C-plus
With the Pistons missing a lot of size, it meant Bona was able to step in and give the Sixers a big boost. He was aggressive on the glass, protected the rim, and finished around the basket. This was a solid Bona game as Philadelphia needed it.
Jabari Walker: C-plus
The Sixers needed an aggressive rebounder in this one and Walker provided it off the bench. He did a really good job of being in the right place at the right time and was able to be a physical presence against this Pistons team.
