Detroit Pistons

2023-12-13

Detroit Pistons pounded by Philadelphia 76ers, 129-111, to tie losing streak record

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

Midway through the fourth quarter, the camera operators at Little Caesars Arena showed a crying child on the video screen over center court.

There’s no better summation for Wednesday’s game: The Detroit Pistons lost their 21st in a row, crushed by the Philadelphia 76ers, 129-111. It wasn't all that close, either, as the Pistons trailed by 30 midway through the fourth.

They had one of their worst performances of the season from behind the arc, hitting 10 of 33 3-point attempts (30.3%). That mark was only manageable after hitting seven of 13 attempts in the fourth quarter with the game already out of hand — they were 3-for-20 (15%) at the end of the third. 76ers center Joel Embiid drives around Pistons guard Cade Cunningham during the first half of the Pistons' 129-111 loss on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, at Little Caesars Arena.

Joel Embiid feasted on a Pistons frontcourt depleted by injuries. Jalen Duren and Marvin Bagley III were in street clothes, leaving Isaiah Stewart as the lone starting big and James Wiseman as the lone backup. Embiid finished with a tidy 41 points (on 14-for-24 shooting), 11 rebounds and five assists while making all 12 of his free throws in just three quarters of action.

Stewart was ejected with 6.8 seconds remaining in the third quarter, as the Pistons faced a 22-point deficit and Wiseman sat on the bench with five fouls. Pressed back into duty, Wiseman — who scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds — fouled out with just under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth while contesting a layup by Paul Reed. Head coach Monty Williams closed the game with Kevin Knox playing out of position at the five.

The Pistons were led by Bojan Bogdanovic, who scored 12 of his 33 points in the final period to prevent the team from losing by at least 30 for the second time in three games. Cade Cunningham tallied 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds but made just five of his 17 attempts.

Ausar Thompson also scored in double figures, with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Embiid dominates Pistons’ small frontcourt

Embiid, who entered the game averaging an NBA-high 33.4 points, also leads the league in free throw attempts per game with 11.6. It’s his fourth straight season either ranking first or second in that category. He gets a quick whistle from referees, and the Pistons saw it firsthand in November when he attempted 19 free throws in a 114-106 victory in Detroit.

When asked how to limit Embiid from getting to the line, Williams’ pregame response was apt.

“This is a fine-able moment for me,” he joked. “You’re trying to get me in trouble.”

Williams couldn’t talk about Embiid’s free throws without criticizing how he’s officiated. The reigning MVP certainly got the benefit of the doubt in the first quarter Wednesday, as he took nine of Philadelphia’s 15 attempts at the line in the period. He forced Williams to turn to Wiseman less than four minutes into the game, after Stewart picked up his second foul at the 8:35 mark.

Embiid didn’t need to rely on the free throw line to score, though. He finished the first half with 30 points and 10 rebounds, on 10-for-16 shooting, and didn’t attempt a free throw in the second quarter. Detroit’s lack of size hurt, and Embiid’s strong start allowed the Sixers to maintain a double-digit lead for most of the first half and all of the second.