The Philadelphia 76ers lost their third straight game on Friday night, falling to the Pistons 114-104. Their record drops to 12-24.
- The Sixers got out to a fast start, opening the game on a 19-4 run. They would score 36 in the first quarter.
- The offense went on to struggle mightily in the third quarter, managing just 18 points.
- The defense allowed seven Pistons to score in double figures.
- The team was outrebounded 62-42.
- Thaddeus Young led the team with 22 points.
- Spencer Hawes broke out of his recent funk with a double-double, picking up 16 points and 10 rebounds.
- Evan Turner scored 19, but shot just 6-14.
- James Anderson was placed back into the starting lineup for the first time in several months. Anderson responded with 10 points and eight rebounds.
- Michael Carter-Williams scored 21 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
- Hollis Thompson, now removed from the starting lineup, played just nine minutes.
Final Thoughts
This was an important loss for the Sixers.
The Pistons had just 14 wins coming into this game, and it was good for the Sixers to extend their losing streak and help nudge a bad team like Detroit a little farther ahead of them in the standings.
On another note, remember back in 2007 when Josh Smith was one of the big names that the Sixers were targeting to try and put them over the top? Thank goodness they opted not to go down that road.
Smith would have frustrated fans just as much as Andre Iguodala did. Smith is not a guy that can so much as carry a team to the playoffs, let alone put them over the top. Detroit is finding out the hard way that they’re now stuck with a big name, a big contract, and mediocre results.
