Denied & Deflated: An Explanation for Pistons’ Struggles vs. 76ers

The Detroit Pistons’ hot first-half showing against the Philadelphia 76ers last month feels like it was a decade ago. After the Sixers formed a comeback from a double-digit deficit to pick up a convincing win over a young Pistons team, Detroit hasn’t stood a chance against Philly in their follow-up outings.

On Wednesday night, the Sixers paid a visit to the Pistons. With a 41-point showing by Joel Embiid in just three quarters, the Sixers took care of business and collected a 129-111 win over Detroit.

Both teams made a trip to South Philly for a Friday night rematch. Looking to avoid dropping 21-straight games, the Pistons hoped to get back at the Sixers. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t have any answers for the Eastern Conference contender’s attack on both ends of the floor.

Struggling Over Time…

“You can say it… Deflating,” Pistons head coach Monty Williams said on Friday.

Acknowledging the Pistons’ ability to hold the 76ers to just 26 points while trailing by only four in the first quarter, it seemed as though Detroit was on pace to put up a much better fight in Friday’s rematch. The narrative shifted quickly, however.

“When you hold a team like that to 26 points, you have to capitalize and knock down some shots,” Williams added. “That’ll help you set your defense.”

Detroit’s follow-up after a decent first quarter was uninspiring. They failed to exceed 20 points on the offensive end, draining just seven of their 21 shots from the field in the second quarter. They also turned the ball over five times, totaling 12 turnovers in the first half.

“We’re turning it over, we’re missing a lot of shots, and we’re giving up offensive rebounds,” the head coach explained. “You can’t keep talking about the same stuff over and over again. So that part was deflating in the first half and, again, not being able to knockdown a shot or not coming up with the ball once you do get a stop is something that has plagued us all year.”

Slowing Down the Star…

The Detroit Pistons banked big on Cade Cunningham, spending a first-overall draft selection on him three years back. Despite the team's struggles, Cunningham is typically a player who shines in Detroit’s dark moments. Through 24 games this season, Cunningham has averaged 22 points, four rebounds, and seven assists.

On Friday, the Sixers managed to hold him to a season-low scoring night.

“They just denied him,” Williams stated. “I didn’t think we did a good job of being physical on offense and using pace to get guys off of us. We have to be better at screening for a guy or moving without the ball so they can’t just deny us.”

In 24 minutes of action, Cunningham was a non-factor offensively. In the scoring department, he accounted for just four points after making two of his nine shots from the field. As far as playmaking goes, Cunningham had just two assists, well below his season average.

The Sixers avoided a trap game mixed with revenge on Friday. After dominating the Pistons through three quarters, outscoring them 94-62, the Sixers issued their core group the entire fourth quarter off. The reserves then came in and closed out the matchup, securing the Sixers their 17th win of the year, sending the Pistons away with yet, another loss.