April 09, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Joel Embiid continues to impress in his return from a two-month absence after injuring his left meniscus.
Looking to secure their first six-game winning streak since December, the Sixers returned home for the first of three games in their season-ending home-stand, as they faced off against the lowly Detroit Pistons. The Sixers did not dominate the Pistons as thoroughly as some had hoped for, but did notch the victory, 120-102. Here is what jumped out from the win:
While the Sixers are in hot pursuit of the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference as they attempt to avoid the Play-In Tournament, they are also making sure they deliver all of their key pieces to the postseason at full health. Tyrese Maxey, who logged nearly 54 minutes in Sunday night's double-overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs despite dealing with a hip ailment that has been nagging him for a few games, was given the night off. Kyle Lowry, who missed Sunday's game dealing with a knee injury, which Sixers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed is not a long-term concern, was also held out of this one, allowing Cam Payne to serve as the starting point guard and opening the door for minutes for Jeff Dowtin Jr. Additionally, the Sixers ruled out KJ Martin near the end of the first quarter due to a left toe contusion.
Meanwhile, Tobias Harris returned to action in this one after missing three straight games. Given the absences of Maxey and Lowry, there was no question that Harris would start. The question is whether he will start when the team is back at full health. Nurse has rejected the notion that Harris should move to the bench in the past, but recent games in which the Sixers' offense has featured improved ball movement with Harris sidelined have strengthened the case that perhaps Kelly Oubre Jr. and Nic Batum should both start over the veteran in the final year of an infamous five-year, $180 million contract.
Meanwhile, De'Anthony Melton, who had missed 39 of the team's last 42 games, made his return from a back injury, coming off the bench in a limited role. The Sixers plan to ramp him up between now and the playoffs in hopes that he can give them a noteworthy spark once the postseason comes around.
Nurse and others have spoken highly of the effort Embiid put in during his two-plus month absence to stay in the best condition he possibly could. There is no way to simulate NBA speed, so it has been somewhat of an adjustment for the reigning NBA MVP, but he has looked more like the best version of himself than anyone expected through four games.
Embiid scored 10 points in each of the first two quarters of this game, and not only did he enter halftime with 20 total, but he also dished out six assists before intermission as well. Embiid has done a tremendous job acclimating to the in-game setting that he had not experienced for more than eight weeks, especially given that he is playing alongside several teammates who he had not shared the floor with before.
The Sixers were aggressive with Embiid's workload in the first half of the game, as he logged 18 minutes -- likely in an attempt to put the game away early and rest their superstar center later on. In any case, it's hard to be anything other than impressed and encouraged by how Embiid has looked since returning from injury.
The Sixers won this game, and it was a relatively stress-free victory, but they certainly did not pummel the Pistons in the way that they likely expected to.
The biggest factor: three-point shooting. The Sixers struggled mightily from beyond the arc, in part due to variance and chance and in part due to their offense lacking ball-handlers with Maxey and Lowry sidelined. The Pistons, meanwhile, were hot from beyond the arc -- most notably young guard Jaden Ivey and veteran wing Evan Fournier.
It also felt like the Pistons were the ones getting to every loose ball for a lot of the game. That is not shocking: Detroit's roster is made up of many players trying to earn a future NBA roster spot, while the Sixers are just trying to get to the playoffs healthy. But given their effort, the Sixers should consider themselves lucky that the talent discrepancy between these teams is as large as it is.
While the Sixers took care of business against one team near the bottom of the standings, the team they're chasing, the Indiana Pacers, did the same: the Pacers defeated the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, and Indiana is now one win away from clinching the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, which would relegate the Sixers to the Play-In Tournament.
In order to leapfrog Indiana, the Sixers would need to win each of their remaining games -- games against the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets at home -- and have the Pacers lose both of their remaining games -- a road matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers and a home contest against the Atlanta Hawks.
The most likely outcome at this juncture the Sixers hosting the Miami Heat in the first game of the Play-In Tournament. The victor would be the Eastern Conference's No. 7 seed, and the loser would host the Hawks or Chicago Bulls in a win-or-go-home contest. The odds of the Sixers overtaking the Pacers have become extremely slim.
