Big Road Win Against the 76ers Shows the Pistons Are a Problem in the East

A statement win for the Detroit Pistons as they walked into the City of Brotherly Love and gave the Philadelphia 76ers their first loss of the season.

There was no Jalen Duren for the Pistons, and for the 76ers, there was no Joel Embiid or VJ Edgecombe.

The Pistons relied on their superstar Cade Cunningham, and he delivered when it mattered most. He finished the game with 26 points, shooting 9-for-19 from the field to go with eight rebounds and eight assists, stuffing the stat sheet.

He had a plus 20 in the plus/minus statistic and was just on point from start to finish. His ability to create shots for himself and his teammates was exceptional tonight.

In the loss of Duren, the others for the Pistons stepped up in big ways. Duncan Robinson was huge again tonight, going 6-for-12 from the field and 5-for-9 from three to give him 21 points. Daniis Jenkins was a difference-maker tonight on both ends of the floor, finishing with 18 points, going 6-for-11 from the field, 3-for-4 from three, and grabbing eight rebounds.

Paul Reed, in the starting center position, played magnificently tonight for the Pistons. He finished with eight points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. John Collins was another key contributor as he finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks.

The biggest part of both Collins' and Reed's game tonight was their ability to alter shots at the rim. The 76ers finished the game 36 for 90 from the field which is 40% from the field and then from 3 point range they shot 7 for 27 which is 26%.

The Pistons' tough-nosed culture was on full display tonight against the 76ers. The extra effort from everyone was the difference in forcing the Philadelphia into tough one-on-one iso possessions. Jaylen Brown finished 5-for-20 on the game, and that is a credit to the whole team and the desire to want to win.

This Pistons team is now 3 and 0 on the young season with another tough road game coming up against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

Detroit has proved that it does not matter who is on the court; they are going to play tough, physical basketball. There was no Jalen Duren or Ausar Thompson on the floor, and bench players like Ron Holland and Kevin Hureter provided great offense and defense to help this team win.

So far this season, the Detroit Pistons are reminding everyone they are still a problem in the East.