Doc Rivers Praises Sixers' Talented Depth After Win vs. Pistons

The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t had their All-Star center Joel Embiid in the mix since last Monday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. As the Sixers center went down with a foot injury in the second half, Embiid’s been battling soreness.

The big man missed the Wednesday night matchup against the Indiana Pacers, the Friday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls, and the Sunday afternoon battle against the Detroit Pistons.

Following Friday night’s loss against the Bulls, Doc Rivers didn’t want to use Embiid’s absence as an excuse, as he made it clear to his team that they can win no matter who’s on the floor.

“I don’t worry about it because he wasn’t in the game,” Rivers said on Friday. “Obviously, with Joel we’re a different team but we don’t have him. So, we have to find a way to win that game tonight without guys. That’s what I tell our guys every night. No, ‘Who we could’ve had.’”

Embiid’s absence wasn’t as much of an issue against a rebuilding Pistons team on Sunday. From start to finish, the Sixers controlled the game and it wasn’t a matter of one or two guys stepping up and having standout performances. Instead, the Sixers came together to complete a total team win.

“Good team performance,” Rivers told reporters after the game. “Matisse (Thybulle) with his steals… Just literally every single guy that stepped on the floor. Danuel House comes in late and makes two threes. It just tells you how deep you are. It really does. And guys are buying into their roles.”

The Sixers had six players notch double-digits in scoring on Sunday. The combination of Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, and Montrezl Harrell each scored at least 20 points. Tobias Harris was the fourth starter to notch double digits by putting up 12 points.

Then off the bench, the Sixers got a stellar effort from Georges Niang, who put up 14 points in 19 minutes, and Paul Reed, who collected 16 points in 24 minutes.

With an impressive overall team effort, the Sixers snagged a second win over the Pistons this year to improve to 24-15. Now, they'll head back home to prepare for a third matchup with Detroit in South Philly on Tuesday.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.