The Detroit Pistons and their two All-Stars got back on track on Tuesday. Now they will look to build a winning streak when they host the banged-up Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
Detroit snapped a four-game losing streak — its longest of the season — by pounding the host Brooklyn Nets 138-100. The Pistons avenged a 107-105 home loss to the Nets the previous week when Detroit squandered a 23-point, second-half advantage.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They stuck to the script. They stayed together. They stayed consistent with our approach. They had their minds made up that they were going to go out there and take care of business.”
In the rematch, the Pistons didn’t give the lottery-bound Nets any hope of a comeback, building a 73-40 halftime lead and maintaining it by scoring 65 second-half points.
“That was a huge emphasis — to not play the score, just going out there and to continue to do the next right thing,” Pistons All-Star guard Cade Cunningham told the Detroit News. “I thought we did a good job of that.”
Cunningham took just 10 shots but scored 21 points and doled out 15 assists while making only two turnovers in 26 minutes. All-Star center Jalen Duren made all but one of his 10 field-goal attempts while scoring a team-high 26 points.
“The pressure that they put on people and the decisions they have to make, what the other team is willing to live with, and try to take away,” Bickerstaff said. “It put so much pressure on teams, and now, they have to send extra bodies, and then, everyone gets a chance to eat.”
Their skid allowed Boston to pull within striking distance for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Pistons currently hold a 3½-game advantage.
Philadelphia is trying to work its way out of the play-in tournament and capture a top-six seed. Injuries are making that a difficult task.
The team learned this week that All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey will miss at least three weeks due to a finger injury.
“You can’t replace Tyrese Maxey,” rookie guard VJ Edgecombe said. “He’s one of one. … Obviously, all year. It hurts for him to go down, but now everyone else has to step up. He knows it’s next man up.”
The team’s other top offensive threat, center Joel Embiid, is battling an oblique strain. The Sixers are also without forward Paul George, who is still serving a 25-game league suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug program.
Philadelphia collected a much-needed 139-129 home victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. The Sixers had lost four of their previous five contests. Thrust into Maxey’s usual role as the primary ball-handler, Edgecombe had 21 points, five assists and three steals.
“I really thought VJ gave us a huge spark,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. “He just all of a sudden started getting offensive rebounds and putbacks. Leadership-wise, with his energy, just really sparked that whole run with some of the tough plays he was making.”
Detroit has won the first two games of the season series, collecting 111-108 and 114-105 victories in November. Cunningham and Duren combined for 47 points in the first meeting. Neither one played in the second matchup as the Pistons displayed their depth to overcome Maxey’s 31-point outing.
