The Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons meet Friday night at Little Caesars Arena for an Eastern Conference rematch. Tip-off sits at 7:30 PM ET.
Joel Embiid remains out for the 76ers with right knee soreness. Paul George stays sidelined during left knee surgery recovery. VJ Edgecombe lists as questionable due to back spasms. Jared McCain misses the game on G League assignment, while Hunter Sallis appears questionable as a two-way player.
Philadelphia has turned to Tyrese Maxey’s scoring punch and Andre Drummond’s board work across the opening 11 contests. Kelly Oubre Jr. has filled the wing gap with steady output.
The Pistons carry a heavy load on their injury list too. Cade Cunningham goes questionable with a left hip contusion, as Jalen Duren checks in questionable for a right ankle sprain.
Isaiah Stewart joins the questionable group holding a left ankle sprain. Tobias Harris sits out with a right ankle sprain, alongside Jaden Ivey’s right knee arthroscopy recovery. Marcus Sasser remains out for right hip impingement issues. Ausar Thompson joins the outs nursing a right ankle sprain.
Detroit sits at 10-2 to launch the year, powered by Cunningham’s playmaking and Duren’s interior presence. The hosts have strung together seven straight wins, highlighted by a 124-113 defeat of Chicago on November 12.
That streak includes a 137-135 overtime escape against Washington on November 10. The squad also edged Philadelphia 111-108 on November 9 at the Wells Fargo Center.
Injuries pile pressure on Detroit’s bench against a 76ers team holding a 3-3 road ledger. The visitors have dropped two of their past three tilts on the bounce.
Philadelphia checks in at 7-4 following a narrow 102-100 win over Boston on November 11.
Maxey leads all scorers at 32.1 points per game with 8.3 assists to boot. Oubre Jr. chips in 18.0 points nightly, while Embiid’s limited 19.7 points and 5.5 rebounds leave a void. Drummond anchors the glass at 8.6 rebounds per outing.
Detroit’s attack hums at Cunningham’s 27.5 points and 9.9 dimes per contest. Duren’s 19.4 points pair with 12.0 rebounds to dominate paint battles. Ausar Thompson’s 13.9 points go absent tonight. Tobias Harris’ 13.5 points and 6.0 boards stay on the shelf too.
