PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night looking to keep things moving in the right direction. The Sixers were on the second night of a back-to-back which meant no Joel Embiid and it was time for Tyrese Maxey to lead Philadelphia against a short-handed Pistons team.
The Pistons were missing former Sixers forward Tobias Harris as well as Isaiah Stewart due to ankle sprains and the Sixers used a strong team and defensive effort to build a lead as large as 13, but the Pistons kept chipping away and eventually walked out of the Xfinity Mobile Arena with a 111-108 win. Cade Cunningham had 26 points and 11 assists for Detroit who won its sixth straight game.
Tyrese Maxey had 33 points and seven assists for Philadelphia while Andre Drummond had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Jabari Walker had 12 points and five rebounds, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 13 points, and Quentin Grimes added 13 off the bench. VJ Edgecombe had 11 points to chip in.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: A
The star guard was aggressive getting into the paint against Pistons defensive stud Ausar Thompson, but it was a struggle at times. Detroit big man Jalen Duren did a solid job of shading over to him to protect the rim and force Maxey into tough looks. With that being said, the Pistons had to throw a ton of attention to him all night and it opened up opportunities for others. Overall, it was not a dominant performance for him, but Maxey did some good things to keep the Sixers in rhythm against a physical Pistons team. When it was time to get going again, Maxey came through with some buckets in the fourth as his maturation process continues.
VJ Edgecombe: C
There were some ugly turnovers for Edgecombe in this one, but the rookie still delivered some good moments on the defensive end as he continues to find his way and contribute even when the shot isn’t falling. He has been impressive in that respect as he just finds ways to contribute without scoring the ball. His defense against Cunningham was impressive as ever.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: B
Matched up with Cunningham, the lanky forward led the charge on a terrific defensive effort against Detroit’s star. Oubre bodied him up more often than not and used his length to really bother him and affect his shot all night long. It was an impressive performance by Oubre on that end coupled with a solid night on offense as he put pressure on the rim and gave the Pistons fits.
Trendon Watford: C-plus
It wasn’t a triple-double, but Watford had some good moments in this one despite some offensive struggles. He played well defensively and gave Philadelphia an edge on either end of the floor with his ability to do a lot of different things. He could’ve shot the ball a bit better, but Watford was able to find a way to contribute and give the Sixers good production.
Andre Drummond: A
The veteran big man received the start in this one and he used his size and strength to get himself some buckets around the basket and he rebounded well in the early going. He knocked down a 3 early, too as he begins to really expand on that part of his game. All throughout the contest, Drummond was a presence in the paint as Detroit had a tough time boxing him out with only Duren. His rebounding presence on both ends led to stops on one end and second-chance points on the other. He knocked down another 3 in the second half as the Sixers continue to trust him with that shot.
Quentin Grimes: B-minus
The Sixers received a big lift from Grimes off the bench. As the Pistons were building a lead, Grimes hopped off the bench and gave Philadelphia a big offensive boost as he knocked down a 3, used his quickness to get to the basket for easy hoops, and kept the scoreboard moving for the Sixers. It was a slow second half for him, however, and he committed a bad turnover in the fourth.
Jabari Walker: B-plus
The Sixers turned to Walker as the first big man off the bench and he had some good moments in his initial stint. He played well defensively, was aggressive on the glass, and finally saw a 3-ball fall for him after the early struggles. He wasn’t able to do much after halftime, but the lift Walker gave in the first half was a big boost.
Adem Bona: B
The initial stint for Bona was good in this one. He blocked two shots off the bench and was aggressive on the glass. He also had some good production in the second half as he gave the Sixers some reliable minutes in crunch time. This was a good Bona game after struggling a bit in his previous two appearances.
Jared McCain: C-minus
Getting back on the floor again, McCain was unable to find his rhythm again as he just works his way back into things. He pushed the ball in transition and was able to get an assist, but that was all he was able to do. He missed the three shot attempts he took in the nine minutes he played.
Eric Gordon: Incomplete
The Sixers turned to Gordon in the second quarter and he missed an open triple while also committing an offensive foul. He only played one six-minute stint.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Tyrese Maxey, Sixers fall short to red hot Pistons
