Following a 123-111 road win over the Pistons (11-32) on Sunday afternoon, the 76ers (24-15) host Detroit for a return game on Tuesday night. Arriving at the midpoint of the NBA schedule this week, the Sixers have won 12 of their last 15 games.
Six 76ers scored in double figures last time out, led by Tyrese Maxey’s 23 points and an efficient, 28-minute triple-double from 10-time All-Star James Harden: 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Harden is the lone Eastern Conference guard with multiple triple-double performances this season (Sunday and Dec. 23 vs. LAC).
“Every single guy that stepped on the floor was ready,” 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “It tells you how deep we are, and guys are buying into their roles.”
Joel Embiid (left foot soreness) and P.J. Tucker (non-COVID illness) did not suit up. The Pistons played without Jalen Duren (right ankle soreness), Isaiah Livers (right shoulder sprain), and Rodney McGruder (non-COVID illness), while Cade Cunningham (left tibia stress fracture) and Marvin Bagley III (right hand metacarpal fractures) remain out as well.
Tucker was upgraded to probable and Embiid was upgraded to questionable on the injury report as of Monday evening. Livers was listed as questionable on that report and Bojan Bogdanović – Detroit’s leading scorer averaging 21.0 points per game – is now out due to left calf soreness.
With a win, the Sixers will sweep the three-game season series with the Pistons. The first meeting was a 113-93 home result on Dec. 21. Both of the Pistons’ season-high turnover games were against the Sixers (23 on Sunday, 22 in Dec.).
Detroit’s Killian Hayes tied his career high with a game-high 26 points (11-17 fg, 4-8 3fg) on Sunday. Matisse Thybulle came away with a game-high five steals for the Sixers.
“It was a good team win,” Tyrese Maxey said postgame. “Defense was pretty good, we moved the ball well, and I think everybody competed hard. Everybody who played tonight and stepped on the court competed at a high level.”
“At this point, I think they were just passing it to him,” Maxey added about Thybulle’s steals total.
Tuesday is a 7 p.m. start in South Philadelphia.
Sunday’s Top Performances:
Tyrese Maxey
James Harden
Montrezl Harrell
Paul Reed
Georges Niang
Tobias Harris
76ers vs. Detroit Pistons: Jan. 08, 2023
1 / 5DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 8: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons on January 8, 2023 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
@Sixers Social:
Quote to Note:
76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers on James Harden and Montrezl Harrell’s two-man game:
“Montrezl has great hands and James knows it. They [Detroit] were really helping with Trezz on pick-and-rolls and we had shooting behind him. It was great.”