The Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons used the first two weeks of the regular season to make a statement about their status in the Eastern Conference.
With the two best records in the conference, an opportunity to put an early exclamation point on their place in the East arrives Wednesday when they meet in Detroit.
The 7-1 Sixers won their past four games, including a 126-107 home victory over Chicago on Monday. Philadelphia pulled away in the second half.
The Sixers’ vaunted starting lineup combined for 102 of those points, led by Tyrese Maxey with 26 and Jaylen Brown with 25. It was just their second win by a double-digit margin.
“It feels kind of good to just kind of blow a team out,” Philadelphia center Joel Embiid said. “It’s good for guys’ legs. It’s good for the morale of the team.”
Embiid contributed 15 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes He’s dealing with right foot plantar fasciitis and has been placed on a minutes restriction.
“It’s been going on like that for the last few,” Embiid said. “So yeah, it’s painful. Just got to manage it and when it flares up pretty bad, got to take a step back.”
Embiid is also adjusting to a star-filled lineup in which he’s just another piece, rather than the focal point.
“I’m such a rhythm guy,” Embiid said. “And over the years, obviously, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to just touch the ball almost every other possession. And sometimes you can just go four or five possessions in a row where you don’t touch the ball.”
Embiid won’t have to deal with Pistons center Jalen Duren on Wednesday. Duren is currently sidelined with a hamstring strain.
The lone blemish on Philadelphia’s record was Detroit’s 106-93 road win on Oct. 25. However, Embiid and guard VJ Edgecombe sat out that contest.
Detroit was somewhat overlooked during the offseason as a serious contender despite winning an East-high 60 games last season and reaching the second round of the playoffs. The 6-1 Pistons didn’t make any splashy offseason additions but they have dispatched opponents with a combination of Cade Cunningham’s star power and overwhelming depth.
The Pistons led Charlotte by four points midway through the third quarter on Monday, then turned up the defensive pressure and blew away the Hornets, 124-91. In their last four victories, the Pistons have held opponents under 95 points.
“When we are defending at the level that we are capable of defending, and the shots are going, we are going to be a tough out,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Our guys have completely bought into what is most important to the team, and for us, it’s our identity of being defensive-minded.”
Cunningham led the charge, racking up 33 points, seven assists, five rebounds and five steals in just 27 minutes.
“I thought he set the tone. He picked a spot where it was time for him to put his foot on the gas, and he came out in the second half and led the way,” Bickerstaff said. “He is one of the best leaders I’ve ever seen. His ability to choose the moment and get his teammates to go along with him is just special.”
Cunningham had 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in his team’s first matchup against the Sixers.
