76ers vs. Pistons: Three Takeaways From Tournament Opener

The 76ers and the Pistons battled it out for the In-Season Tournament opener on Friday.

Following a five-game homestand, the Philadelphia 76ers hit the road for the first time since the calendar turned to November. On Friday night, they opened up their In-Season Tournament play with a matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

The two teams in Friday’s matchup are on different paths and faced different circumstances. For the Sixers, they entered the matchup heavily favored, considering they are viewed as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

As for the Pistons, they remain a rebuilding franchise, focusing on developing a young roster. Not only are they still in the earlier phases of the rebuild, but they also missed a handful of players due to injury on Friday. 

At first, Detroit looked like the team that was primed to put together an upset because they wanted Friday’s matchup much more, coming out with high-level energy and physicality. Although nothing was working for the Sixers at first, they quit snoozing in the second half and turned the tables en route to a 114-106 victory over Detroit.

With that win, the Sixers collected their seventh straight. They also go 1-0 in tournament play before they take on the Indiana Pacers for their second In-Season Tournament matchup next week.

76ers vs. Pistons Takeaways

1. The Pistons Can be a Headache

Teams tend to show their youth in different ways. Sometimes, they dominate in the energy department against older teams during the regular season as they look to stun their opponents on a nightly basis. Other times, they might show their youth by simply getting outclassed because experience goes a long way.

The Pistons were that annoying little brother that the Sixers knew they could defeat, but came out lacking enough energy to take care of business with ease as expected. In the first half of action, Detroit led by as many as 16 points. They were efficient in the paint offensively and snagged 33 percent of their offensive rebounds, creating plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Sixers opened up the first half flat offensively, draining just 31 percent of their shots. From deep, they converted on just four of their shots from beyond the arc. 

Detroit showed its youth in both ways on Friday, as the Sixers woke up in the second half and crafted a quick run to suddenly make it a close game. Energy can only go so far until the more talented team gets down to business. Trap games tend to happen, but the Sixers avoided it this time around.

2. The Sixers Lost a Key Reserve

The bench unit has been crucial to the Sixers’ success so far this season. Patrick Beverley might not be a scoring machine, averaging under three points per game through seven matchups, but he’s certainly the conductor of the unit, holding ideal two-way value for the team when the starters are getting a breather.

Early on in Friday’s game, the Sixers lost Beverley to neck pain. He checked in for just five minutes in the first quarter. That would be the last time he was seen on the court for the night. The setback doesn’t seem severe, but it’s too early to be sure.

3. Tyrese Maxey is Maintaining His Balance

Against Boston, Maxey wasn’t all that efficient, but he came alive when it mattered most and helped lead the Sixers to victory with 25 points, five assists, and nine rebounds. 

Like most of his teammates, Maxey wasn’t all that sharp from the floor during the first half of Friday’s game in Detroit, but when the Sixers sounded the alarm and needed some life offensively, the rising star came alive. 

After collecting just four points, none of which from the field, in the first quarter, Maxey went ahead and scored ten of the Sixers’ 27 second-quarter points to lead the way at halftime. While he had another quiet quarter in the third, Maxey once again put it all together in crunch time.

Scoring has never been an issue for Maxey, who is a three-level threat at this point in his career. The next step for Maxey was to maintain his scoring while adding reliable playmaking to his toolbox. Going into Friday’s game, Maxey averaged seven assists per game. In Detroit, he dished out ten assists to add to his 29-point scoring total. 

It’s still early on in the season, but Maxey continues to maintain his balance, which is a great sign.