76ers seek to solidify hold on East vs. Pistons
Field Level Media
08 May 2021, 22:05 GMT+10
The Philadelphia 76ers will look to move one step closer to securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race when they host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
The Sixers held off the shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans 109-107 on Friday and moved three games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets andMilwaukee Bucks. The Sixers have five games remaining.
Joel Embiid had been questionable with a sore shoulder but produced 37 points and 13 rebounds in the narrow win over the Pelicans. The Sixers (46-21) will now aim for their eighth consecutive victory.
Pistons snap skid with win over Grizzlies
Wayne Ellington and Cory Joseph scored 18 points apiece to help the Detroit Pistons snap a four-game losing streak with a 111-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
The Canadian Press Cory Joseph , The Canadian Press
DETROIT Wayne Ellington and Cory Joseph scored 18 points apiece to help the Detroit Pistons snap a four-game losing streak with a 111-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
The Grizzlies dropped a half-game behind Golden State for eighth place in the Western Conference, failing to take advantage of the matchup against a Detroit team with more than a few absences.
2021/05/07 10:26 Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) drives as Detroit Pistons guard Frank Jackson (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, T. Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) drives as Detroit Pistons guard Frank Jackson (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph passes as Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (15) and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) defend during the first h. Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph passes as Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (15) and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Pistons have the NBA’s second-worst record, but they’re sticking to the plan they set last offseason: Competing every night to build a winning culture. That has remained the plan during the past two weeks, with the Pistons sitting veterans and letting young players receive the bulk of the minutes.
After a string of losses, the team needed a spirit-lifting win, Pistons coach Dwane Casey said.
“We needed it,” he said. “We were teetering and our guys were kinda hanging their head, losing confidence a little bit. We understand that we’re building and rebuilding. But you’ve got to compete to win each and every night.”