The Big 3 returned in unspectacular fashion but Quentin Grimes flashes in Sixers debut.
Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 14
Jared McCain – 8
Joel Embiid – 8
Paul George – 7
Guerschon Yabusele – 4
Kelly Oubre Jr – 2
Ricky Council IV – 2
KJ Martin – 2
Justin Edwards – 2
Adem Bona – 1
The Philadelphia 76ers entered their road matchup against the Pistons on Friday reloaded with Joel Embiid returning alongside Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. They would leave Detroit with little to celebrate after an embarrassing 125-112 defeat.
The first half was one of disgrace for the Sixers. They displayed little defensive intensity and let the Pistons get whatever they pleased. Early in the first quarter saw all three of the Sixers stars get into foul trouble, leading to the Pistons running in transition and attacking the paint. Detroit held a convincing advantage in the hustle stats, besting the Sixers in second chance points (26 to 10), fastbreak points (22-10) and points in the paint (52-36).
The Sixers finished the first half down 78- 49, which became the largest halftime deficit the team has seen this season. Embiid finished the first half with only three points and Paul George with six points.
Despite the deficit, the Sixers got off to a hot start in the third quarter. Off the back of 20 Joel Embiid points in the quarter, they went on a 22-4 run that helped cut the lead to just 14 points. The Sixers would be unable to keep the momentum, as Detroit would push there lead back up to 19 by the start of the fourth quarter. It would be insurmountable in the final frame, despite an increase in effort and defensive intensity.
Unfortunately, Pistons guard Malik Beasley took the role of ‘Sixers killer’ tonight, dropping a career-high 36 points and making nine threes. Tobias Harris also did damage against his former team, notching 22 points on 50% shooting. With the victory, the Pistons are now even at .500 with a 26- 26 record.
Lets see our nominees for Bell Ringer.
Joel Embiid: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks
Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images
For how difficult it was to watch Joel Embiid in the first half, he reminded everyone just how entertaining he is to watch in the third quarter. He was getting to his spots at the elbow and in the post, was making strong passes out of double teams and even blocked former Sixer Paul Reed’s dunk attempt.
Embiid displayed his full arsenal in the third quarter from all over the floor. He utilized a variety of midrange jumpers, a hook shot, and mixed in a three-pointer as well. Putting pressure on the Pistons frontcourt briefly opened up the offense as the Pistons decided to shade the defense towards Embiid, and he made quick work gathering a couple assists off back-to-back threes from Justin Edwards and Tyrese Maxey.
Embiid’s defensive effort was lackluster yet not surprising as he manages the left knee. It appeared he felt more comfortable jumping for blocks and contests at the rim against the Pistons than it did on Tuesday against the Mavericks.
Embiid’s battles with Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren yielded plenty of free throw opportunities, and also a good number of times Embiid ended up on the floor. Despite some minor scuffles in this matchup between both sides, it would be a yelling match on the Sixers bench between Embiid and Kelly Oubre Jr. that drew some attention.
I’m GLAD Joel Embiid and Kelly Oubre Jr. are this passionate about how bad this game is. They should be – it’s their worst effort by far all season.
Glad to see they at least give a damn and are trying to work it out together. pic.twitter.com/I6vRay2QqN
— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) February 8, 2025
As mentioned above, it is nice to see your star player frustrated about a game like this, and still demanding excellence from his teammates. In an ugly night, we see a moderately rare public display of leadership from Joel Embiid.
Tyrese Maxey: 27 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey sadly came up short on the 30-point threshold, which would have extended the streak to eight games. Other than the point total, Maxey continued his dominance with the ball in his hands, making 4-of-10 three-point attempts and 9-of-20 from the field.
Since Jan. 1, Maxey has dished out two more assists than he did before the New Year. With a ratio of 7.2 assists to 2.7 turnovers per game, his turnover total of four against the Pistons was too high, which is a credit to the Pistons relentless defense.
Maxey’s continued growth on the defensive end rears its head every game. On Friday, his two steals derived from poor Tobias Harris passes. Unfortunately, neither led to a score.
Quentin Grimes: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images
The second-newest Sixer had himself an impressive debut in his new threads, appearing to fit in quite well despite having limited time to look over any plays or film. Within his first minute of game action, Grimes helped force a turnover which led to a fastbreak and Oubre dunk.
In addition, Grimes hit a couple of threes, drove for a couple layups and was comfortable enough to give the impression he has been on the team for longer than just three days. He is a great fit next to Maxey already, as he can hit the open shot and take the tougher defensive assignment.
As of now, it appears his hot shooting has traveled with him from Dallas, and it will be much needed if the Sixers intend to make the playoffs.