The Pistons look to push their winning streak to nine games against Philly
With a collection of impressive wins in the bank during the Pistons eight-game heater, Detroit made a statement with its 11-point victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Entering the matchup, the Pistons were down seven key players– with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren chiefly among those injured– but Detroit battled all night long and never allowed the Bulls into the lead, not once.
With seven players unavailable due to injury, the Pistons relied on the timely scoring and post play of Paul Reed to set the tone. Reed posted 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists against Chicago, and it was the first time an NBA player had ever done so on 80+% shooting from the field. So, Reed set an NBA record on a night the Pistons were searching for a big performance– B-Ball Paul delivered.
However, it was far from a one-man band on Wednesday night as Daniss Jenkins set the table appropriately from start to finish with 18 points and 12 assists. Jenkins navigated the floor much like Cunningham would have, and he worked relentlessly to the tune of 40 minutes in the 11-point win. If Cunningham is not able to play against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight, then Jenkins will have another heavy workload.
Injuries
The Pistons are in a similar situation tonight with seven players on the injury report, but there is optimism that Cunningham, Duren and Stewart will be able to play tonight. The Pistons are placing a bit more importance on the NBA Cup game, so it’s feasible that the trio gut it out in hopes of advancing further in the mid-season tournament.
As for the 76ers, it looks like Philadelphia will more likely than not be without an important core group against the Pistons. Down low, 76ers center Joel Embiid has a knee injury and has already been ruled out of the game, and Paul George is in a similar boat with a knee injury of his own. Both players are expected back on Monday, Nov. 17 according to ESPN.
Apart from those vets, Philadelphia rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe is dealing with a minor back issue, and he’s considered questionable for the matchup against Detroit. If Edgecombe is not able to play, then the Sixers will rely primarily on Tyrese Maxey to drive the team’s offense as Philadelphia will be without its usual rotation of options.
Pistons Gutsy Win Over Bulls Shows Why Detroit Should Stand Pat On Trade Front
A couple intriguing trade possibilities involving the Pistons have surfaced as of late
76ers News
Philadelphia has split its last four, with wins coming over the Celtics and the Raptors and losses coming at the hands of the Cavs and this very Pistons squad. Detroit played the 76ers only a couple games ago, so the two teams already have some relevant tape on each other.
In their most recent contest against Boston, it was a bench performance that helped secure the win for Philly. The duo of Justin Edwards and Quentin Grimes combined for 40 points off the bench, and the 76ers edged out a narrow 102-100 win at home.
Player To Watch: Duncan Robinson
In the Pistons’ last game, Duncan Robinson acted as the one binding force tying together the Pistons early-season rotation to its new, injury-laden contingent of options. With so many guys out, Robinson was the glue guy who could be counted on to knock down outside shots when presented with them, and the veteran marksman tallied seven triples out of 10 attempts against the Bulls, good for 23 points on the night.
Whether Robinson is joined by his usual starting teammates in Cunningham or Duren remains to be seen, but the experienced shooter will be depended on in either event to provide spacing on offense, move without the ball and to make the proper rotations on defense to help keep some continuity between all the lineup changes.
Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers 107, Detroit Pistons 115
Both teams are a little beaten up entering tonight’s contest, but the Pistons have a flood of momentum behind the team with eight consecutive victories under their belt. Detroit is in first place in the Eastern Conference, and the team always plays extra hard at home, so the Pistons can be trusted to compete hard with a 2-0 start in the NBA Cup on the line.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage.