Philly Sports Jabronis
It took 53 minutes to decide Philadelphia’s first road meeting with the Pistons this season, but the Sixers were able to eek out a hard-earned victory, topping Detroit 108-101.
The lead changed hands 16 times, and the game was knotted up an additional 11 times, with the final draw in the score coming with 13.4 seconds left in regulation. Down three points and in possession of the ball with just under 16 seconds left to play, the Sixers set up to inbound on their own offensive end of the floor. Hollis Thompson set a pick for Luc Mbah a Moute, who flashed to the far side of the court.
As he made his break, Thompson cut towards an inbounding Robert Covington and curled around a Nerlens Noel, who screened his defender. Thompson broke free, received an inbound pass from Covington in the corner and drained a tough, fall-away three to knot up the score at 100 apiece. Stifling defense by Michael Carter-Williams against Brandon Jennings on the final possession of regulation earned Philadelphia five minutes of extra time, where they outscored the Pistons 8-1 en route to victory.
“It is huge for these guys to be able to close out a tough game on the road like that,” head coach Brett Brown told reporters after the game. “I’m proud of the way they hung together through that streak and now they are getting some rewards.”
For the second straight game, Covington led the Sixers in scoring, and for the third straight game he set a new career high in points, this time with 25. He went 9-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-5 from downtown and also notched six rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
Carter-Williams contributed 20 points (8/12 FG), 15 assists, eight rebounds, three steals, and a pair of blocks in a game-high 45 minutes of play. Mbah a Moute added 14 points (3/12 FG), 11 rebounds, four assists, and three steals, and Nerlens Noel notched nine points (3/7 FG), eight rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal.
Standout Stat
Over Michael Carter-Williams last five games, he’s averaging 19.6 points, 12.2 assists, and 9.0 rebounds per game. He’s the first player to do that since Magic Johnson in 1991 and the first Sixer to hit those numbers over a five-game stretch since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.
Behind The Numbers: 4
Against the Pistons, rookie K.J. McDaniels blocked four shots in 33 minutes off the bench. It was the third time in 20 appearances this season that he hit that mark. On the year, only six players (all power forwards and centers) have done so more than three times, and Larry Sanders, Dwight Howard, and Pau Gasol match the Sixers rookie with three.
Next Up
The Sixers return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks.
