Javonte Green led six Detroit players in double figures with 21 points and nine rebounds as the short-handed Pistons won their ninth straight by rallying past Philadelphia, 114-105, on Friday.
The game was part of the NBA Cup. Detroit is now 2-0 in the Group Stage, while the Sixers are 0-2.
Daniss Jenkins had 19 points and eight assists, while Duncan Robinson tossed in 15 points. Caris LeVert and Isaiah Stewart supplied 14 points apiece.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 31 points, while VJ Edgecombe contributed 18 points. Justin Edwards chipped in 13 points and Andre Drummond added 12 points with 11 rebounds.
Pistons star Cade Cunningham missed his second straight game due to a hip injury. Three other starters — Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson — were sidelined by ankle injuries.
Philadelphia star center Joel Embiid sat out due to a knee injury.
Detroit finished the first half on an 18-8 run and led 63-54 at halftime.
The Pistons went scoreless for nearly 4 1/2 minutes in the third quarter while Philadelphia reeled off 14 points to take a five-point lead. Grimes got the run started with a 3-pointer and finished it off with a layup before Green finally answered with a dunk.
Maxey’s driving layup midway through the quarter gave the Sixers a 77-68 advantage. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Drummond and Edwards pushed Philadelphia’s lead to 83-71.
The Pistons clawed back with a 17-7 run to end the quarter. Jenkins finished it off when he fired in a 52-foot banker just before the buzzer.
Wendell Moore Jr. tied it with a layup to start the fourth. Detroit moved ahead on a Paul Reed inside basket with nine minutes to go.
Green hit a pair of free throws midway through the quarter for a 103-97 Pistons lead.
LeVert hit two 3-pointers in less than a minute to make it 109-101. Green’s free throws with 2:04 remaining moved the score to 112-103. LeVert stretched the advantage to double digits with a dunk.
–Field Level Media
