Joel Embiid, 76ers Snag Second Straight Win vs. Pistons Tuesday

Following a blowout victory on the road Sunday afternoon, the Philadelphia 76ers returned to South Philly to host the Detroit Pistons for a rematch.

Tuesday’s game marked the third meeting between the Sixers and the Pistons this season. Through the first two games against Detroit this year, the Sixers have outscored the Pistons 236-204.

As the Pistons looked to avoid taking the path of a regular season sweep against Philadelphia, the Sixers looked to continue forming a winning streak as they bounced back over the weekend. Unfortunately for Detroit, they dealt with a handful of key injuries for the Tuesday night matchup.

Meanwhile, the Sixers benefitted from getting a couple of players back in the mix after playing their last matchup missing two starters.

Quarter Breakdown

1st Quarter

On Sunday, the Sixers went toe-to-toe with the Pistons without their starting center and power forward, Joel Embiid and PJ Tucker. By Tuesday, both players were back in the mix. For Embiid, it was his first performance in over a week since he missed the team’s last three games.

With Embiid and Tucker back and Tyrese Maxey no longer having his minutes capped, the Sixers had to send De’Anthony Melton back to the bench. Tuesday’s game was the first time Melton didn’t start since November 13 against the Utah Jazz.

Philadelphia got off to a quick start, courtesy of Tobias Harris. Putting up three shots within the first couple of minutes, Harris was perfect from the field, scoring seven of the Sixers’ first nine points. Four minutes into the game, the Sixers put together a 14-5 run capped off by a James Harden three, forcing Detroit into a timeout so they could try and re-group.

The Sixers shot significantly better than Detroit in the first quarter by draining 55 percent of their field goals. However, the game remained within single digits, as turnovers were a concern for the Sixers, turning the ball over seven times, which accounted for 26 percent of their possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Philadelphia possessed a seven-point lead through one.

2nd Quarter

After a lukewarm first-quarter performance, the Sixers turned it up a notch in the second quarter. Tobias Harris, who had a perfect shooting quarter to start the game, once again couldn’t miss in the second quarter. Going 3-3 from the field, Harris tacked on another seven points in ten minutes.

Once Joel Embiid came back into the game, the big man asserted his dominance. He got to the free throw line for five attempts and scored on four of his seven shot attempts. Offensively, Embiid was a force, leading the Sixers in second-quarter scoring by putting up 13 points.

Philadelphia entered halftime with their biggest lead of the night, out in front by 22 points. Not only did the Sixers shoot substantially better from all over the floor, but they dominated in the paint, outscoring Detroit in that department 36-12.

3rd Quarter

As they were expected to, the Sixers built on top of their blowout against Detroit from the start of the third quarter. Going in with a 22-point lead, the Sixers extended their lead as far as over 40 points at the start of the second half.

Harden, who was on triple-double watch as early as the second quarter, produced his tenth assist within the first couple of minutes of the second half. Not long after, the star guard picked up his tenth rebound, helping him secure his second-straight triple-double. Tuesday’s accomplishment marks Harden’s 72nd career triple-double.

Not long after Harden secured his triple-double, Sixers big man Joel Embiid grabbed his 30th point. It was the 20th game this season Embiid has produced over 30 points. Just as the big man crept up on 24 minutes of playing time, the Sixers called it a night for Embiid. Shortly after, Harden received a trip to the bench for the remainder of the game as well.

Embiid finished his night with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks. He knocked down 60 percent of his shots. Harden wrapped up his outing with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists.

4th Quarter

By the looks of the scoreboard, it was clear the Sixers’ lead in the third quarter was commanding enough to signal a blowout victory in favor of Philadelphia. Once again, Doc Rivers started allowing some deep bench reserves to garner some minutes beginning early in the fourth quarter.

Within the first couple of minutes, players such as Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House, and Paul Reed checked in for the first time of the night. Philly’s key rotational players started subbing out of the matchup when the Sixers held a 107-77 lead.

Eventually, the former first-round pick Jaden Springer picked up some minutes as well, checking in for his sixth matchup of the season.

A slow-burning fourth quarter eventually resulted in a 147-116 victory for the 76ers. With that win, the Sixers collect their 25th victory of the year.