The Sixers’ Christmas season surge has kept them right in the heart of the playoff picture. An easy win against a poor-performing Detroit Pistons team is the next step in keeping them there.
Game Info for Sixers/Pistons
When: December 21st, 2022
Tipoff: 7:00 PM EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center | Philadelphia, PA
How to watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Game Preview for Sixers/Pistons
Joel Embiid isn’t hot, he’s scorching. During the active five-game win streak, Embiid has posted 30+ points in four of the five games and double-digit rebounds in four of the five games for Philadelphia. Taking this momentum to Detroit should not be hard. The Piston’s twin-tower duo of Isaiah Stewart and rookie Jalen Duren are talented, yet have not shown consistent offensive production in the season thus far and neither do not have the built frame to keep up with Embiid’s aggressiveness the way other young centers in the NBA might be able to.
Tobias Harris continues to be reliable on the offensive end when Embiid gets slow, posting 21 points in Philadelphia’s 104-101 OT win against the Raptors. His jump-shooting ability in midrange will be needed to keep pace, as the Pistons are a team with length and long wingspans, even without Cade Cunningham.
But the biggest challenge for the Sixers tonight – there aren’t many – will be containing ascending rookie guard Jaden Ivey, who is coming off a career game of 30 points, five assists, and four rebounds. The Piston’s one shot at winning is containing a surge from Ivey, and that includes everywhere. The first-year player from Purdue can score around the rim, from mid-range, from behind the arc, and offers consistency at the free-throw line. A minimal performance from him should secure a Sixers’ victory should all else hold equal.
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
