76ers vs. Pistons: Player Observations After Sixers' Thursday Night Victory
The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Thursday night after a two-game road stretch. After bouncing back from last Friday's loss against the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers managed to defeat the young and inexperienced Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.
Then, the Sixers made their way to the Big Apple to face the New York Knicks. Although they anticipated a physical matchup, Joel Embiid and the 76ers had a rough outing versus the Knicks. And a rough second quarter showing led to a double-digit defeat.
After getting off to a 2-2 start to the year, the Sixers faced the win-less Detroit Pistons at home on Thursday night. Although Joel Embiid was questionable before the matchup, the star center played through knee soreness once again. In addition to Embiid playing, Sixers guard Shake Milton returned to the lineup and made his 2021-2022 season debut.
It wasn't the prettiest game for the Sixers. In a matchup where they should've taken care of business right out of the gate, the 76ers let the Pistons hang around in the first half. And while it seemed like a blowout was brewing in the third quarter, the Sixers couldn't comfortably put the Pistons away and were forced to put their key players back out on the court in order to secure a victory.
In the end, the Sixers came out on top with a 110-102 win over Detroit. With that victory, the Sixers move to 3-2 on the season and sent the Pistons back home with an 0-4 record. As a team, the Sixers could've done much better. Now, let's observe each player's performance on Thursday night.
The Starters
The veteran sharpshooter hasn't been so sharp to start the season. Outside of Tuesday night's game in New York, Green hasn't shined much for the Sixers. That was the case once again against Detroit. In nearly 30 minutes of action, the veteran went 0-5 from the field and didn't log a single point. Defensively, he did a decent job, but the veteran needs to start hitting some shots to have more of an impact.
Harris led the Sixers in playing time on Thursday after checking in for 36 minutes. Once again, the veteran forward was solid as he drained nearly 55-percent of his shots for 17 points. He had a big third quarter, which helped the Sixers gain a lot of momentum. Harris could've been better in the fourth quarter, but he certainly shouldn't receive much blame for Thursday's issues.
Joel Embiid
Should Embiid have played on Thursday? It's debatable. However, it's hard to be confident in the Sixers' ability to defeat Detroit without him. It seemed for a moment that Rivers was ready to call it a night for the big man when the Sixers gained some momentum in the third quarter. Eventually, he made his way back out on the floor and finished the night with a game-high of 30 points and 18 total rebounds.
Seth Curry
He took two three-pointers, and he made two three-pointers. The veteran guard did his job on Thursday by remaining efficient. Sure, he could've taken more shots, but he made the most of his limited opportunities.
The second-year guard is working on becoming a better playmaker. He looked decent as he racked up six assists. Shooting-wise, Maxey was efficient as he knocked down six of his eight shots for 16 points. Although he had four turnovers, which the second-year guard acknowledged as something he needs to fix right away, Maxey played a solid all-around game on Thursday.
The Bench
The first-year Sixer has done a stellar job of coming off the bench and being reliable from beyond the arc. Against Detroit, he hit on two of his four three-point shots. Once again, Niang is proving to be a significant upgrade backing up Tobias Harris this season.
In 18 minutes of action, Korkmaz took just three shots. It was unlike the Turkish guard to not chuck up more attempts but perhaps Shake Milton's return prevented him from finding more opportunities to shoot.
The third-year guard had a few nice passes and hit the one three-point shot he took. As usual, he had a few steals on defense as well. If Thybulle could increase his scoring from beyond the arc, then he would probably see his minutes rise -- especially as Green struggles. But Rivers is more than likely confident in the idea that Green will eventually bounce back.
Andre Drummond
The big man has seen better nights. In 14 minutes of action, Drummond's highest stat was the six fouls he picked up. After checking out early in the fourth quarter, Drummond wrapped up his forgettable night with four rebounds, two points, and four turnovers.
Shake Milton
After sitting out for the last few weeks due to a sprained ankle, Milton looked excellent for a guy that was expected to be rusty. He picked up 16 minutes, knocking Isaiah Joe out of the rotation. Milton took ten shots and collected 13 points and five assists. The return of the veteran guard should offer the Sixers a much-needed boost.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
