PLAYER GRADES: Philadelphia 76ers 117, Detroit Pistons 111
By Sam Coltrane
The Philadelphia 76ers won on the road in Detroit against the Pistons without Joel Embiid.
The Detroit Pistons came out strong in the first half dominating the block and procuring a 15-point lead in third quarter before the Philadelphia 76ers began tightening on defense.
Blake Griffin had another big performance against Philadelphia posting 31 points and 12 rebounds. Andre Drummond also posted a double-double with a 21-point, 10-rebound performance as Detroit worked to capitalize on a Philadelphia team playing without star center Joel Embiid.
Without Embiid, Butler stepped up. Butler posted another 38-point performance matching his season high from the previous game in Toronto. Butler led Philadelphia as they went on a 22-5 run late in the third quarter. Despite the run, Detroit held a lead in the fourth quarter 98-92 before Philadelphia went on their second large run, this time a 16-2 sprint.
With six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Pistons leading 100-97, Detroit coach Dwane Casey got a technical which helped Philadelphia gain the lead before holding on the rest of the way.
Butler and Ben Simmons were going to have to play well on the road against a good Detroit team without Embiid. The question beckoned for who else would step up and hold down the tough front-line of Detroit. Several players stepped up big for Philadelphia.
Philadelphia 76ers. JIMMY BUTLER. A. <strong>39 mins | 38 pts | 6 reb | 6 ast | 3 stl | 1 blk | 0 TO | 13-27 FG | 1-6 3PT| 11-12 FT | 1 PF | +12|</strong><p>Butler continued his rampant start to his Philadelphia career. When Philadelphia was down 15, it was Butler who dug in on both sides of the ball to help change the momentum. Butler did not have his best performance from three, but he made up for that by attacking and earning 12 free throws attempts. His pressure on the defensive end also showed through with his three steals.</p>. SF
PG. Philadelphia 76ers. BEN SIMMONS. A. <strong>40 mins | 18 pts | 14 reb | 6 ast | 1 stl | 3 blk | 4 TO | 8-11 FG | 0-0 3PT| 2-2 FT | 3 PF | +4|</strong><p>Simmons showcased the aggressive style of play that has been driving him of late. Perhaps most importantly to the win against Detroit was Simmons willingness to engage on the boards. His 14 rebounds were instrumental in keeping the difference in rebounds at least in check. Simmons also chipped in strong defensive efforts, especially during the run in the third quarter.</p>
C. Philadelphia 76ers. MIKE MUSCALA. A-. <strong>30 mins | 18 pts | 3 reb | 2 ast | 1 stl | 3 blk | 2 TO | 7-13 FG | 4-9 3PT| 0-0 FT | 5 PF | +15|</strong><p><a rel=
A-. <strong>37 mins | 10 pts | 8 reb | 2 ast | 2 stl | 3 blk | 0 TO | 4-5 FG | 2-3 3PT| 0-0 FT | 5 PF | +23|</strong><p><a rel=. PF. Philadelphia 76ers. WILSON CHANDLER
AMIR JOHNSON. D. <strong>16 mins | 0 pts | 2 reb | 0 ast | 3 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 0-2 FG | 0-1 3PT| 0-0 FT | 6 PF | -1|</strong><p>This final spot was going to go to the strong start by <a rel=. C. Philadelphia 76ers
With the win, Philadelphia has the opportunity to move into sole possession of second place if the Golden State Warriors can beat the Milwaukee Bucks. This win also continues the hot start for Philadelphia bringing the team to 9-3 in the Jimmy Butler era.
Next. 2019 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0. dark
Philadelphia’s next game will come against this same Detroit team on Monday night as they look to build on their NBA-best 13-1 home record.