The Detroit Pistons might be catching the Philadelphia 76ers at a bad time.
Injuries have made it a rare occurrence for the Sixers’ big three of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey to play together this season. On Friday, however, there’s a good chance that trio will be in the lineup as Philadelphia visits Detroit. Through 50 games, the 76ers have seen those three take the floor together just 10 times. Philadelphia is 7-3 in those games.
Embiid returned on Tuesday from a monthlong absence due to knee issues. He recorded a triple double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 118-116 victory over visiting Dallas.
Embiid sat out the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday. George returned from a five-game absence due to a finger injury, though he was held to nine points in 32 minutes as the host Sixers lost to Miami.
George, who signed with Philadelphia as the top free agent on the market last season, has been limited to 31 games due to assorted injuries.
“It’s super frustrating,” George said. “Super frustrating, especially, coming in with big goals and what I wanted to accomplish and what the team wants to accomplish, and then to always have these setbacks. It’s super frustrating, I for sure feel it. But you know all the bad luck, something has to change. That’s all I can kind of weigh on is, things will change. There are positives in all of it. I just got to weather the storm.”
If Embiid plays on Friday, it will be just the 15th time he’s suited up this season. Maxey has appeared in 43 of the team’s 50 games and has been on a scoring tear, supplying 28 or more points in 16 consecutive games and averaging over 32 points during that span.
Maxey has averaged 30 points in Philadelphia’s two games against Detroit this season, with each team capturing a road victory. The game on Friday will decide the season series.
The Pistons have dropped two straight and five of their last seven, including a heartbreaker to Eastern Conference leader Cleveland on Wednesday. The Cavaliers’ Darius Garland hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to win 118-115 after Detroit erased an eight-point deficit in the final two minutes.
“We were down most of the night,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Down big even late and there was no quit with a minute to go. Very easily could’ve just thrown in the towel, and we figured out a way to get back in it.”
All-Star Cade Cunningham did everything he could to rescue his team, racking up 38 points and nine assists. He made three free throws in the closing seconds to tie the contest prior to Garland’s dagger.
“That’s who he is, and that’s not a one off,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s been that guy all season long. Being able to make clutch plays, whether it’s shots, free throws, finding his teammates, blocked shots, you can go on and on about the way that he handles himself in winning time, and that’s what makes him special.”
Detroit began its six-game homestand with victories over Dallas and Chicago before falling to Atlanta and Cleveland by a total of five points. The Pistons will host Charlotte on Sunday afternoon to close out the homestand.
–Field Level Media
