DETROIT — No Joel Embiid, no P.J. Tucker, no problem for the 76ers.
It was business as usual in a 123-111 victory over the rebuilding Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena.
Even without All-NBA center Embiid, the Sixers (24-15) were too deep for the Eastern Conference’s last-place Pistons (11-32).
James Harden finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for his second triple-double of the season and the 71st of his career in the regular season. Montrezl Harrell had a season-high 20 points, his third straight double-figure scoring performance. Paul Reed, the backup center behind Harrell, had 16 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. And Matisse Thybulle tied his career high in steals with six.
The Sixers scored 48 bench points and built a commanding 22-point cushion with 8 minutes, 43 seconds remaining.
All that enabled them to pick up their 12th victory in the last 15 games. So it definitely was business as usual without a member of their starting lineup.
Embiid missed his third straight game with soreness in his left foot. Tucker also stayed back in the Philadelphia area with a sinus infection.
Harden’s triple-double
Harden bounced back from one of his worst shooting performances with a solid all-around game.
The Sixers point guard opened the contest by making his first three shots en route to shooting 7-for-14 for the game. But his rebounding and ability to get teammates involved stood out more.
Harden had 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists by halftime. He recorded his 10th assist 27 seconds into the second half. On that play, Harden dished to Tobias Harris for a layup.
Harden also reached a scoring milestone during the game, surpassing 25,000 career points. He reached the milestone on a layup that gave the Sixers a 81-68 lead with 6:28 left in the third.
Harrell starts
Harrell got his sixth start of the season with Embiid and Tucker both out. Tucker had started the previous two games as a small-ball center. But one has to wonder if the Sixers decide to start him in that lineup moving forward.
The eighth-year veteran and Harden were solid in the two-man game. Harden’s passes enable Harrell to get looks at the basket. And the 2020 sixth man of the year responded by shooting 8-for-11 from the field. He and Harden sat out the fourth quarter.
Reed scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. The third-year player also finished the game with a career-high eight offensive rebounds.
Maxeys’ moment
Sixers shooting guard Tyrese Maxey turned the game into a personal playground in the third quarter. That’s when he scored 11 of his team-high 23 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Maxey ended the quarter by scoring seven straight points.
Up next
The Sixers will complete their two game series against the Pistons on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center. After that, they’ll entertain the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday before embarking on a five-game West Coast road trip.
