76ers vs. Pistons: 3 Things That Stood Out on Sunday

What stood out for the Sixers in their matchup against the Pistons?

After a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday, the Philadelphia 76ers wanted to close out their four-game slate this week with a bang.

The Sixers were offered an opportunity to avoid falling into a losing streak as they faced the Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon. Earlier this season, when the Sixers went to battle with the Pistons, Philadelphia came out on top with a comfortable win.

As expected, the Sixers found similar results on Sunday night. Despite going into the matchup without two starters, one being an All-Star in Joel Embiid, the Sixers were still heavy favorites over the rebuilding Pistons.

From start to finish, the Sixers controlled Sunday’s game. Philadelphia made it out of Detroit with a 123-111 victory. With that win, the Sixers improve to 24-15 on the year.

Here’s what stood out from Sunday’s matchup:

Montrezl Harrell Keeps Making a Case

The backup center position is a popular topic that surrounds the Sixers. As Doc Rivers couldn’t keep it consistent with his rotations early on, the Sixers would switch back and forth between Paul Reed and Montrezl Harrell throughout the season. 

Lately, Harrell’s been given the nod to take up the minutes behind Embiid. While Rivers wouldn’t verbally commit to Harrell being the guy, as he made it clear neither player has fully convinced him just yet, Harrell is beginning to put together a strong case.

Last Wednesday against Indiana, Harrell saw his minutes increase to 28. The veteran scored 19 points, draining eight of his nine shots. In the following game against Chicago, Harrell scored 17 points in 22 minutes, draining eight of his 12 shots. Against Detroit, Harrell had his best outing of the year as a starter. In 23 minutes, he converted on eight of his 11 shots. Harrell finished the night with a season-high of 20 points.

Paul Reed’s Reminder

I believe Harrell is running away with the steady backup center position, but Paul Reed offered the Sixers a reminder on Sunday; He can still get the job done when the opportunity arises.

Being that Embiid and Tucker missed the matchup, Reed was issued 24 minutes of action on Sunday. As always, Reed’s hustle shined bright. Along with his hustle came production. And the young post player scooped up his third double-double of the year with 16 points on 6-7 shooting and 12 total rebounds, which marked a team-high for the night.

No Longer Gun Shy

Coming back from an 18-game absence due to a fractured foot, Tyrese Maxey looked more hesitant than usual in his first couple of games back.

Through each matchup, Maxey increased his shot attempts from the field. After putting up 15 shots on Friday night against Chicago, Maxey exceeded 17 attempts from the field for the first time since the Sixers’ November 13 matchup against the Utah Jazz

The young guard knocked down 44 percent of his shots in 33 minutes. While he struggled from deep, missing all but two of his nine three-pointers, Maxey led the Sixers in scoring with 23 points. Sunday was the second time he scored at least 20 points since returning to the floor five games ago.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.