The Detroit Pistons might be facing the Philadelphia 76ers at an inopportune time as injuries have limited the Sixers’ star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey to just 10 games together this season. However, Friday night’s matchup could see this trio finally reunited as Philadelphia visits Detroit.
76ers’ Recent Performance:
The 76ers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 118-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, thanks to Joel Embiid’s impressive triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Embiid returned after a month-long absence due to knee issues, but sat out the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday. Paul George, who returned from a five-game absence due to a finger injury, scored nine points in 32 minutes in the Sixers’ loss to Miami on Wednesday. Tyrese Maxey has been on a scoring tear, averaging over 32 points in his last 16 games and 28 or more points in each of those games.
Pistons’ Recent Performance:
The Pistons have dropped two straight and five of their last seven games, including a heartbreaking 118-115 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. All-Star Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 38 points and nine assists, making three free throws in the closing seconds to tie the game before Darius Garland’s game-winning 3-pointer. Detroit began its six-game homestand with victories over Dallas and Chicago but has since lost to Atlanta and Cleveland by a combined five points.
Key Players:
- Joel Embiid: Averaging 29.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
- Paul George: Averaging 24.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.
- Tyrese Maxey: Averaging 32.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
- Cade Cunningham: Averaging 25.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 9.4 assists per game.
