Joel Embiid’s stellar 35-point performance, complemented by Tyrese Maxey’s 19 points, propelled the Philadelphia 76ers to a resounding 124-92 victory over the Detroit Pistons during the NBA’s Friday action.
This defeat marked a record-setting 22nd consecutive loss for the Pistons, surpassing a franchise record dating back to the 1980-81 season and becoming the sixth-longest losing streak within a single NBA season.
The 76ers’ success was spearheaded by Embiid, who secured his ninth consecutive double-double after scoring 41 points in their previous matchup and surpassed Wilt Chamberlain’s franchise record for straight games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. The reigning NBA MVP has also distinguished himself as the first player since Chamberlain (1964-65) to achieve at least 675 points and 200 rebounds in the first 20 games of a season.
“It’s great to be in that class,” Embiid said. “I just want to dominate every single night.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons Updates
Maxey, impressed by Embiid’s evolution, praised his improvement, highlighting a particularly skillful layup that showcased Embiid’s agility and skill for a player of his size.
“He is getting better, which is scary,” Maxey said. “He made a layup today that I like to do where he made a Euro step and laid it high off the glass. He’s 7-foot-2 and he runs the floor at the same speed I do. It’s scary.”
James Wiseman was the top scorer for the struggling Pistons with 20 points, followed by Bojan Bogdanovic with 17, as the team’s record fell to 2-23. Tobias Harris, formerly with the Pistons, contributed 13 points for Philadelphia, and Marcus Morris Sr. excelled from beyond the arc, scoring 15 points.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons Updates
The 76ers significantly outperformed the Pistons in the second quarter, establishing a 61-39 lead by halftime and extending it to 32 points after three quarters. This dominance allowed 76ers coach Nick Nurse to rest Embiid and other regulars in the final quarter.
Detroit’s challenges were compounded by 21 turnovers, which Philadelphia capitalized on, following adjustments made after the previous game against Detroit. Nurse commended his team’s defensive improvements and hard work.
“You got to give our guys credit,” Nurse said. “They played hard and they made improvements defensively on the stuff we saw from the last game that we tried to work on the last couple days. Whoever hit the floor was out there trying to do the stuff we worked on and it paid off.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons Updates
The matchup also had its share of tension, a carryover from a previous game incident involving Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart and 76ers guard Patrick Beverley. Despite a heated exchange during warm-ups, the game did not see any escalation of the conflict. However, both Stewart and Embiid were given technical fouls for verbal exchanges during the match.
Pistons coach Monty Williams reflected on the emotional aspect of the game, noting the need to balance competitiveness with rationality.
“There’s competitive basketball, there’s emotional basketball and then there’s irrational,” Williams said. “Sometimes we let it get past emotional and get irrational and it has nothing to do with the game.”
Looking ahead, the Pistons will face the Milwaukee Bucks, while the 76ers are set to play against the Charlotte Hornets in their upcoming games.
