Pistons' backcourt continues to impress in 105-95 victory over 76ers
10/31/2024 01:38 AM
The Detroit Pistons won their first regular season matchup against the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers. Wednesday’s 105-95 victory came against the Sixers without Joel Embiid and Paul George and the Pistons managed to capitalize.
Detroit’s team effort was led by the dynamic work of its budding backcourt. Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey finally managed to turn their growing chemistry into a winning result. Ivey led all Pistons scorers with 23 points on 9-17 shooting from the field plus 3-7 from deep. Cunningham stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.
So much of the Pistons’ trajectory relies on the production of their guards. Head coach JB Bickerstaff has placed a lot of his game-planning around the duo as the primary orchestrators for Detroit. They each led the team in minutes with 36 and showed how their complementary styles can aid the future of this franchise.
Ivey excelled against the 76ers in catch-and-shoot opportunities, transition buckets, and keeping his opponents off-balance with his elite speed. Cunningham’s methodical three-level scoring was also a problem for Philadelphia. The duo also put forth a committed effort on defense and an unselfish desire to keep their teammates involved.
Tobias Harris leaves impact against former team
Detroit’s showdown against Philadelphia was an emotional one for former 7e6rs forward Tobias Harris. In his first return to Wells Fargo Center, Harris anticipated a hyped-up response from the crowd. The 14-year veteran responded to the noise with his best game of the regular season scoring 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
The Philadelphia faithful reigned boos on Harris each time he touched the basketball. Harris seemed unphased by the booing when addressing the media in the postgame.
“There's obviously going to be boos and people that cheer. In any type of reception obviously, that is how it is,” Harris explained. “I knew that it wasn't gonna be like, a tearful moment. This is a crowd that boos their own team, that's just how it is.”
The Pistons’ starting power forward had a rough patch scoring in his first four games. After starting off cold in the first half, shooting 2-7, Harris helped Detroit close the victory by scoring 14 points in the second half on 6-9 shooting. Bickerstaff weighed in on the importance of how Harris responded to the crowd’s response.
“Clearly they (Sixers fans) were vocal about whenever he touched the ball, but for him to understand and still have the wherewithal to finish with 18 points and 14 rebounds I thought was huge,” Bickerstaff stated. “It didn’t come easy for him, but he just kept figuring it out. That’s a credit to him as a human being and how important he is to us and what we’re building with this franchise.”
Isaiah Stewart shines off the bench
Wednesday was a rough outing for Pistons’ starting center Jalen Duren. The 20-year-old big was plagued by foul trouble all game resulting in him fouling out in only ten minutes of action. This opened a big need for frontcourt assistance and backup Isaiah Stewart answered the call for the Pistons.
Stewart thrived as Detroit’s enforcer against Philadelphia as he grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots. He provided extra possessions for the Pistons grabbing five offensive rebounds and occasional tip-outs from misses. Bickerstaff applauded his effort and explained how he was a ‘game-changer’ for Detroit.
“He’s one of those guys that literally is just trying to do whatever we ask him to do. He’s embraced the role so obviously he wants to be on the floor more,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s going to earn those minutes if he keeps playing the way he’s playing. His role will continue to grow.”
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