The Detroit Pistons lost Game 1 of the 2023-2024 NBA Regular Season In-Season Tournament Eastern Conference Group A against the Philadelphia 76ers, 106-114, on Nov. 11 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Detroit was mired in a six-game losing streak. They needed to turn things around with a win at home. Their opponent was Eastern Conference powerhouse Philadelphia, so a win would have been the perfect turning point.
Detroit exploded for 33 points in the first quarter to take a 12-point lead. They caught up in the second quarter, but held on to the lead and had a chance to snap the losing streak.
However, they fell apart in the third quarter. Detroit was unable to withstand the ruthless under-the-basket offense of Philadelphia ace Joel Embiid. Detroit allowed Embiid to score 16 points in the third quarter alone.레모나토토 도메인
Losing momentum, Detroit was unable to put the game away in the fourth quarter. The loss was Detroit’s seventh straight and dropped them to 2-8 and in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit committed 16 turnovers on the night. They gave up 13 steals in the process.
Free throws were also a problem for Detroit. Detroit gave up a whopping 19 free throws to Embiid. They were outrebounded 22-41 in free throw attempts.
Detroit head coach Monty Williams expressed his disappointment in the postgame interview.
“We did a good job of containing Joel Embiid in the first half with our double-team defense. But there was a tendency for him to attack with his arms flailing. I don’t think it was a shot attempt. Even taking that into account, we couldn’t win. We made a lot of mistakes,” he said, hanging his head.
Injuries added to the struggles. Detroit’s top big man prospect, Jaylen Durant, was injured in the game and played just 22:42.
“Anytime a player doesn’t finish a game, I’m concerned,” Williams said. But we can’t use injuries as an excuse,” Williams said emphatically.
Detroit has been rebuilding in recent years, adding a number of talented pieces, including former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham. They also hired Williams, a veteran of the NBA, to take the reins this season.
But this season hasn’t gotten off to a great start either. Detroit fans are breathing a sigh of relief.