Sports

Sixers and Pistons Set Stage for East with Dominant Starts

By CEDTyClea

The Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons used the first two weeks of the regular season to assert their status in the Eastern Conference. With the two best records in the conference, the teams will add an early exclamation point to their standings when they face each other in Detroit on Wednesday. Philadelphia, 7-1, won its last four games, including a 126-107 home victory over Chicago on Monday. The Sixers pulled away in the second half, with their starting lineup scoring 102 of the points. Tyrese Maxey led the team with 26 points and Jaylen Brown added 25. It was only the second time the Sixers have won by double digits. Center Joel Embiid said, “It feels kind of good to just kind of blow a team out. It’s good for guys’ legs. It’s good for the morale of the team.” Embiid finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes. He is 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 also noted that he is adjusting to a lineup in which he is one piece rather than the focal point. “I’m such a rhythm guy,” he 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 will not have to face Pistons center Jalen Duren, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring strain. The only blemish on Philadelphia’s record was a 106-93 road loss to Detroit on Oct. 25, a game in which Embiid and guard VJ Edgecombe did not play. Detroit, 6-1, was overlooked as a serious contender during the offseason despite winning 60 games last season and reaching the second round of the playoffs. The Pistons did not make any major offseason additions but have dispatched opponents with a combination of Cade Cunningham’s star power and depth. Detroit led Charlotte by four points midway through the third quarter on Monday, then increased defensive pressure and won 124-91. In their last four victories, the Pistons have held opponents under 95 points. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, “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. Our guys have completely bought into what is most important to the team, and for us, it’s our identity of being defensive-minded.”