Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and had six assists as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Detroit Pistons 111-96 on Saturday night.
KJ Martin contributed 19 points, six rebounds, and three blocks, while Ricky Council IV added 17 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. also scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Paul George, who had missed the previous three games due to a left knee bone bruise, scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out five assists.
Both teams were missing key players. Sixers’ star Joel Embiid missed his fourth straight game because of a left knee injury and personal reasons. Pistons’ top scorer Cade Cunningham also sat out due to a hip injury.
Detroit had a big win against Indiana the night before, beating them 130-106. Embiid’s replacement, Andre Drummond, left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury.
The Sixers got revenge for their earlier 105-95 loss to Detroit at home. This was only their fourth win of the season, having lost seven of their last eight games.
Malik Beasley led the Pistons with 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Jaden Ivey scored 15 points. Marcus Sasser and Wendell Moore Jr. added 12 and 11 points off the bench.
Philadelphia shot 56 percent in the first quarter, taking a 37-20 lead. Detroit fought back in the second quarter, narrowing the gap to 57-52 at halftime. Beasley had 14 points, and Ivey contributed 12.
Council led the Sixers in the first half with 13 points.
Philadelphia regained a double-digit lead early in the third quarter. Maxey scored 10 points in the first three minutes, and Martin’s dunk made it 69-55, forcing Detroit to call a timeout.
Back-to-back dunks by Martin and Guerschon Yabusele increased the lead to 77-60. Oubre’s basket with 3:52 left in the quarter stretched the lead to 20 points, and they led 89-69 at the end of the third.
Detroit never made a comeback in the fourth quarter.
