76ers Beat Pistons 112-106 for Fifth Straight Win and Sole Lead in the East

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Detroit Pistons 112-106 on the road on Nov. 4 for their fifth straight win and an 8-1 record. NBC Sports Philadelphia reported the Sixers held sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference, and Reuters called it the best record in the league.

Jaylen Brown led the attack with 30 points. Joel Embiid had 26 points and a season-high 15 rebounds and made all 10 of his free throws. Late in the game, Brown blocked Cade Cunningham’s 3-point attempt to stop Detroit’s comeback.

Tyrese Maxey had 19 points and seven assists despite a cold shooting night. He scored two points in the first half, then 17 after halftime, including 11 in the fourth quarter. The Associated Press reported that 19 points was Maxey’s season low. It was Maxey’s 26th birthday.

LeBron James had 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and rookie VJ Edgecombe added 11. For Detroit, Duncan Robinson scored 27 and Cunningham 26. Philadelphia led by as many as 17 points but saw the lead cut to 106-102 in the fourth quarter before closing the game at the free-throw line.

The win also avenged the Sixers’ only loss of the season, against Detroit on Oct. 25. Maxey had been the team’s leading scorer in seven of the first eight games and entered the game leading the East at 29.1 points per game.

The Sixers continue a three-game road trip Friday, Nov. 6, at Cleveland at 7:30 p.m. The game is an NBA Cup group-stage game, a tournament played during the regular season. Philadelphia is 1-0 in Cup play; the Cavaliers are 4-4. The teams first met Oct. 22, when the Sixers erased a 29-point deficit to win 114-106.

James said after the game, “We’re nine games in, so this is a marathon,” according to Sixers Wire, a Sixers-focused site. The Sixers continue the trip at Chicago on Sunday.