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

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

The Philadelphia 76ers took care of business against the Detroit Pistons for the third time this season on Tuesday night. After paying a visit to the Pistons in Detroit on Sunday afternoon and scooping up a dominant victory, the Sixers formed their first win after a tough loss to the Chicago Bulls.

On Tuesday, the Sixers returned to South Philly and welcomed the Pistons back to town. The visitors missed a handful of players, including key names such as Marvin Bagley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart, and Cade Cunningham. 

Meanwhile, the Sixers got a couple of key players back in the mix as Joel Embiid and PJ Tucker were cleared for action after missing Sunday’s matchup in Detroit. 

Once again, another blowout ensued. With the roster fully healthy, the Sixers dominated from start to finish and picked up a 147-116 win over the Pistons on Tuesday night.

Here’s what stood out in the matchup:

Embiid is Back

After a three-game absence due to foot soreness, Joel Embiid was back in the mix on Tuesday night. As the Sixers took care of business without Embiid against a healthier Pistons team on Sunday, the big man probably could’ve taken an extra game off.

However, Embiid mentioned after the matchup that as long as he’s healthy and able to walk, he’s going to play. He did just that on Tuesday night. Checking in for 24 minutes, Embiid went 12-20 from the field and 11-11 from the free throw line, scoring 36 points.

The big man snagged the double-double by coming down with 11 rebounds. Embiid did exactly what was expected of him against an undermanned rebuilding squad such as the Pistons by dominating. Now, it’ll be interesting to see how the Sixers handle his minutes moving forward after he got an early night off on Tuesday.

A Passing Masterclass

James Harden’s playmaking has shined bright ever since he joined the Sixers last season. This year, his passing has been on another level.

On Sunday, Harden did a little bit of everything and notched his second triple-double of the season with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. On Tuesday, he followed up with a second-straight double-double by producing 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists. Tuesday’s game marked the fourth time Harden exceeded 15 assists in a single game.

Harden accomplished that number with just 26 minutes of playing time. Considering how well he passed the ball in his three quarters of action, there could’ve been a real chance Harden approached his career-high of 21 assists, which he accomplished on December 23. 

Jaden Springer’s Breakout Game

Garbage time might bore the average basketball fan, but it’s a great opportunity for players that are outside of a team’s rotation to get in and get some minutes. Former first-round pick Jaden Springer had just seven NBA games under his belt going into Tuesday’s game.

As the young guard has split time between the NBA G League and the main roster, Springer has mostly been a body at practice and on the bench for the Sixers over the last two seasons. Before Tuesday, Springer’s season-high of minutes played was five minutes back on December 13. 

Against Detroit, Springer clocked in for eight minutes. Offensively, Springer was perfect from the field by going 4-4 and hitting on both of his free throw attempts. The second-year guard finished the game with ten points. Defensively, Springer showed exactly what the Sixers have been raving about since he started practicing with the team. He was aggressive and made life tough on the Pistons’ offense.

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