Pistons Play Complete Game, Defeat 76ers
These freakin Pistons, man. It feels like a broken record, but every night out, this team is scrapping, clawing, playing solid basketball and winning or losing close. After a three-game losing streak, the Pistons put it together for 48 minutes and got a 102-94 win over the powerful 76ers.
Cade Cunningham, once again, was masterful. He scored 27 and dished out six assists. He only grabbed two boards, but he's just playing nearly perfect basketball as he closes out his rookie season. Saddiq Bey was also solid scoring 20 with four made three-pointers. Bey is now the fifth player in NBA history to make 200 three-pointers in a season at the age of 22 or younger. He joins Anthony Edwards (2021-22), Trae Young (2019-20), D’Angelo Russell (2018-19), and Klay Thompson (2012-13) as the five players to accomplish the feat. He and Cunningham have two of the guard spots in Detroit locked up for a long time.
After touching double figures three games in a row, Isaiah Stewart didn't score in the game — it was the first time that's happened since a January 25 outing against Denver — but Beef Stew was a force on the boards grabbing 12 caroms. He also set some really good screens to free up Cade and Saddiq, and battled hard with Joel Embiid all night. Embiid did get 37, but he's doing that against just about everyone. Rookie Isaiah Livers was back after missing a few games in concussion protocol and he knocked in nine big points on three, three-point makes. Head coach Dwane Casey continues to praise Livers for his shooting, defense and surprising physicality.
Casey also praised Kelly Olynyk, who scored 12 off the bench, and Killian Hayes who continues to improve as a shooter, facilitator and overall point guard in the NBA. The 19-year old chipped in 10 of his own points.
All in all, it was a complete game for the Pistons, which have sometimes been few and far between for the young, rebuilding squad. Detroit is often in games through three quarters, but then veteran-led, more talented teams pull away in the fourth. Tonight that was not the case. Detroit ramped up the defense in the final quarter and held the Sixers to less than 100 points, which is really a feat in today's NBA. In fact, that Pistons hadn't done that to an opponent since beating Toronto 103-87 back on January 14.
Unfortunately, the Pistons did lose Marvin Bagley III in the game to a strained hip flexor. Bagley tried to dunk the ball on a run out and was fouled from behind by Embiid causing him to land awkwardly. Bagley stepped to the line and knocked down one of his two free throws but immediately took a foul, limped off the court and headed to the locker room. It didn't look to be serious but with just five games left, we may have seen the last of Bagley this season.
