Hot Detroit Pistons host hotter Philadelphia 76ers
By David Topham
The Detroit Pistons look to continue their five-game winning streak and keep their small sliver of postseason hope alive at home against the surging Philadelphia 76ers.
The Detroit Pistons (37-40) host the Philadelphia 76ers (47-30) on Wednesday night, where they’ll look to continue a five-game win streak. Despite being nine games under .500 on March 17, Detroit still isn’t eliminated from the playoffs.
The Pistons have largely been able to keep their playoff hopes alive thanks to the return of Reggie Jackson. Detroit is 6-1 with their point guard back in the lineup, this after going 12-25 while he sat out with a severe ankle sprain suffered on December 26.
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At 37-40, the Pistons are still alive and fighting Milwaukee for the last Eastern Conference playoff spot. Detroit needs to be perfect, or close to it, in their last five games while the Bucks need to lose out.
That starts tonight in a home game against the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have won 11 in a row – three and three-quarters of those without Joel Embiid. Embiid broke the orbital bone in his face during their March 28 game against New York when Markelle Fultz accidentally collided with him.
Last night, Philadelphia beat Brooklyn 121-95 at home without Embiid or Dario Saric, who’s sitting out a few games with cellulitis in his right elbow. The Pistons have been off since Sunday, when they beat those same Nets 108-96, so they’ll have the rest advantage tonight.
Both Embiid and Saric won’t play for the 76ers against Detroit, while Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (knee) will also likely sit out. For the Pistons, Blake Griffin won’t play due to the bone bruise in his right ankle. James Ennis sat out Sunday with hand injury and his status is up in the air for tonight, while Kay Felder and Reggie Hearn will be with the team after the Grand Rapids Drive’s season ended last Friday.
Next: What effect does Reggie Jackson’s return have?
Somebody’s win streak is breaking tonight. Detroit and Philadelphia tip off from Little Caesars Arena at 7:00 p.m. ET. The 76ers are 3-0 against the Pistons so far and will be looking to sweep the season series.