GRADES: Pistons squash Sixers comeback in preseason finale

The Sixers stumbled across the preseason finish line in a 112-108 loss to the Detroit Pistons, despite a late push to tie the game after trailing by as many as 22 points.

The Sixers were without four of last season’s starters in Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Danny Green; the Pistons were also shorthanded, playing without this season’s first overall pick Cade Cunningham.

The teams remained fairly evenly matched in the first half, with the exception of two Detroit Pistons runs that allowed them to take a 66-55 lead into the locker room. The first came when the Sixers ran an ultra-small lineup with Furkan Korkmaz at power forward, and he unsurprisingly conceded some easy buckets to Jerami Grant; the second came after some sloppy turnovers led to easy Pistons buckets late in the second quarter.

Detroit opened up a wider lead to open the second half, thanks to some nifty passing from their big men and impressive shot-making from their wings. The deficit for Philadelphia grew to 20 points, and the game seemed out of hand.

The Sixers clawed their way all the way back with a huge 22-4 run in the late third and early fourth quarters, fueled by Isaiah Joe‘s hot three-point shooting and the defensive intensity of Aaron Henry and Shaq Harrison. They managed to even the game at 103 late in the fourth quarter.

The Pistons were ultimately able to regain their lead in the final minutes as the Sixers emptied their deep bench. Timely shotmaking from Josh Jackson and Luka Garza paired with some impressive rim protection by Isaiah Stewart ultimately doomed Philadelphia.

Former Sixer Jerami Grant led the way for the Pistons, dominating a variety of Sixers defenders in isolation and throwing impressive passes when Philadelphia sent double teams his way. Grant finished the game with a game-high 24 points and added three assists.

Andre Drummond topped a balanced Sixers scoring attack with 17 points, despite sitting the entire fourth quarter and playing limited minutes. Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed also finished the game in double figures.

Grades: Sixers comeback falls short in 112-108 loss to Pistons

• Andre Drummond: B+

21 mins | 17 pts | 7 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 2 blk | 3 TO | 7-11 FG | 0-0 3PT| 3-5 FT | 3 PF | -18 |

While Andre will see more minutes this year than most Sixers fans would probably prefer, he’s starting to come into his own as a stat-sheet-stuffing backup for Joel Embiid. His roll-man chemistry with players like Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry on ball screens has been a welcome surprise. Drummond also finished a nice Tyrese Maxey alley-oop early in the first quarter, silencing Pistons fans who inexplicably spent the first few minutes of the game booing Drummond every time he touched the ball. Those Philly fans, though, am I right?

• Tyrese Maxey: A-

23 mins | 16 pts | 5 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 7-16 FG | 2-6 3PT| 0-0 FT | 1 PF | -20 |

Maxey looked incredible in the first quarter, scoring 11 points while shooting 5-6 from the field. Working as the lead ball hander, he dissected the Pistons defense out of pick-and-roll looks and also created wide open threes for the Sixers’ shooters on the perimeter. Maxey is at his best with the ball in his hands, and running point for a shorthanded Sixers team, the second-year guard inspired plenty of confidence that he can be a scoring and playmaking spark plug this year.

• Isaiah Joe: A

22 mins | 14 pts | 3 reb | 3 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 0 TO | 5-10 FG | 4-8 3PT| 0-0 FT | 2 PF | +15 |

The former Razorback continued to prove that he deserves a spot in the rotation with another tremendous preseason outing. Even when his shot isn’t falling, Joe creates tons of space for his teammates to work by virtue of his ridiculous range and deft off-ball movement, and he defends capably despite his slender frame.

When his shot is falling, though, like it has been all preseason? Joe becomes a potent offensive weapon. Tonight, he knocked down a few high-degree-of-difficulty triples, like one on the move with a hand in his face in the middle of the second quarter.

• Paul Reed: B+

29 mins | 15 pts | 7 reb | 2 ast | 2 stl | 2 blk | 0 TO | 5-7 FG | 0-0 3PT| 5-6 FT | 5 PF | +8 |

“BBall Paul” couldn’t quite get it going against Detroit’s formidable frontcourt of Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart in the first half. He faced early foul trouble, recording four personal fouls in his first 10 minutes of playing time.

However, his length defensively proved useful as he recorded quite a few deflections, one highlight block, and did a good job generally mucking up the painted area; offensively, while Reed hasn’t looked quite as potent as he did in the G-League last year or in this year’s Summer League, he still contributed nicely as a screener and around the basket. Late in the game, Reed created some offense off the dribble with the deep bench unit.

• Aaron Henry: B-

19 mins | 7 pts | 4 reb | 3 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 3-5 FG | 1-1 3PT| 0-0 FT | 1 PF | +11 |

The Michigan State product shined defensively in his homecoming. He knocked down a nice corner three late in the third quarter, and Henry’s dogged defensive energy — especially when paired with Shaquille Harrison — proved too much for the Pistons to handle.

Henry will likely spend a lot of time this year in the G-League with the Blue Coats, as he’s on a two-way contract. His intensity on the floor is a positive sign moving forward; hopefully, Henry can continue to refine his game and develop his skills this year and in the future.

The team’s four preseason contests have been relieving respites from the Ben Simmons offseason saga, welcome reminders that the Philadelphia 76ers are a basketball team and not a soap opera. However, now that they’ve drawn to a close, the team will have to tip off a real season and once again enjoy the scrutiny of the spotlight.

Overall, the preseason has inspired confidence in some of the team’s young talent. Isaiah Joe in particular flashed his abilities throughout: drafted as a sharpshooter, he’s rapidly developed a capable handle and become a stout defender with a nose for charges.

It’s worth enjoying the good feelings right now, though, because once the year begins and the wins and losses actually count in the standings, it’ll be back to business as usual — and it’ll be hard to feel anything too positive about this roster until Daryl Morey finally trades the elephant in the room.

The Sixers will tip off the regular season in New Orleans against the Pelicans on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 8 PM ET.