The Philadelphia 76ers (8-32) have fallen to the Detroit Pistons (15-26), 107-89. Both teams came into the contest with recent momentum, as Detroit had won 10 of their last 12 games, and Philadelphia on the winning side for four of their last seven.
Detroit shot 7-for-12 from beyond the arc (58.3%) in the first quarter, which largely contributed to their early ten point lead, 31-21. Three of the seven three-pointers made by the Pistons came from small forward Kyle Singler, who shot 4-5 overall from the field in the first 12 minutes for an early 11 points.
Philadelphia's twelve turnovers at the half, a third of which came from point guard Michael Carter-Williams, was a huge reason for the team's 19-point deficit after two. Additionally, they were able to connect for just two out of their 15 three-point attempts at the mid-way point, a 13.3% percentage.
Both teams drew in the third quarter, 25 points each. With less than five seconds remaining in the quarter, the Pistons were able to score five points to match their halftime lead at 19. After an Anthony Tolliver bucket, a bad pass by Henry Sims led to a Singler steal and three-point completion, his sixth of the game (career-high).
The fourth quarter was not any different of a story, which ultimately sealed the Sixers' their 32nd loss of the season after 40 games. Philadelphia never posed any real threat to their opposition throughout the entirety of tonight's action, as they never led at any point.
Former Sixer, Jodie Meeks put up 15 points tonight for the Pistons, and shot 4-8 from the field (1-3 3PM-A). He played three seasons with Philadelphia, from the 2009-2010 season to the 2011-2012 campaign.
Point guard Larry Drew II, who signed to a ten-day contract on Thursday, received quality minutes tonight as he fills in for the injured Tony Wroten (sprained right knee). Last night in his NBA debut, Drew II made two out of his three shots, one of them being a three-pointer, for five points along with a rebound and an assist. This evening, he shot three-for-seven to yield 6 points, along with 2 rebounds and 9 assists.
Pistons' power forward, Greg Monroe, secured his his 8th double-double this month, which leads the NBA.
Game Notes:
- Final Score: Sixers 89, Pistons 107
- Halftime Score: Sixers 37, Pistons 56
- Shooting: Sixers 46.3%, Pistons 43.2%
- Free Throws: Sixers 6-7, Pistons 16-19
- Three Pointers: Sixers 7-28, Pistons 15-35
- Turnovers: Sixers 22, Pistons 16
- Rebounds: Sixers 42, Pistons 47
- Steals: Sixers 10, Pistons 16
- Blocks: Sixers 5, Pistons 5
Player of the Game: Anthony Tolliver
Tolliver came off of the bench tonight to score 16 points and secure six rebounds (three offensive).
- Michael Carter-Williams | PG | 24 min, 6-12 FGM-A, 1 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 15 pts
- K.J. McDaniels | SG | 27 min, 2-10 FGM-A, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 4 pts
- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute | F | 22 min, 5-8 FGM-A, 6 reb, 1 ast, 11 pts
- Robert Covington | F | 28 min, 3-9 FGM-A, 2 reb, 2 ast, 9 pts
- Nerlens Noel | C | 24 min, 3-7 FGM-A, 7 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk, 7 pts
Pistons Starting Five:
- Brandon Jennings | PG | 22 min, 3-9 FGM-A, 1 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 10 pts
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | 35 min, 6-11 FGM-A, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 17 pts
- Kyle Singler | SF | 26 min, 7-12 FGM-A, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 20 pts
- Greg Monroe | PF | 32 min, 4-11 FGM-A, 13 reb, 4 astl, 2 stl, 1 blk 12 pts
- Andre Drummond | C | 30 min, 4-15 FGM-A, 15 reb, 1 stl, 3 blk, 8 pts
Atlantic Division Standings:
- Toronto Raptors (26-13)
- Brooklyn Nets (17-23) | 9.5 GB
- Boston Celtics (13-25) | 12.5 GB
- Philadelphia 76ers (8-32) | 18.5 GB
- New York Knicks (5-36) | 22 GB
What's Next:
The Sixers travel to Washington D.C., the roots of the famous March on Washington and 'I Have a Dream' speech, for a Martin Luther King Day matinee. Then, they will return home for a brief two game home stint, starting with taking on the Knicks Wednesday evening. New York has lost 26 of their last 27 games.
- Monday | January 19, 2015 | @ Wizards | 2:00 pm EST | TV: CSN; Radio: 97.5 FM
- Wednesday | January 21, 2015 | vs. Knicks | 7:00 pm EST | TV: CSN; Radio: 97.5 FM
- Friday | January 23, 2015 | vs. Raptors | 7:00 pm EST | TV: CSN; Radio: 97.5 FM
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is a contributor to Sixerdelphia.com.
