Pistons post first win, beat 76ers behind Tobias Harris' double-double

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia is the city of Brotherly Love, but Wednesday night, there were no signs of affection shown towards Tobias Harris. After six seasons playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Harris made his return to Wells Fargo Center as a member of the Detroit Pistons.

Nine hours before tipoff, Harris described his tenure with the franchise as a disappointment, given that the Sixers fell short of their championship aspirations each season. And perhaps, fans felt the same way. They booed Harris during team introductions and each time he touched the ball. Fans didn’t even show Harris love during a quick tribute video the organization gave early in the first quarter.

Harris’ subpar start against his former team was a slight example of why fans had a sense of animosity for their once beloved star. However, Harris got the last laugh, as the Pistons took a 105-95 win over the Sixers. He finished with a double-double of 18 points on 8-of-18 shooting and 14 rebounds. He began the night shooting 1-of-5 from the field.

With the victory, the Pistons recorded their first win of the 2024-25 season, ending a four-game losing streak. Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey had one of their best performances as a backcourt duo, scoring a combined 45 points. Ivey scored a team-best 23 points in the win.

Philadelphia remained short-handed against Detroit due to the ongoing absences of Joel Embiid (left knee management) and Paul George (left knee bone bruise). Tyrese Maxey led the way for the Sixers with a game-high 32 points on 12-of-25 shooting.

The Pistons had a rough start to the game. An inefficient offense led to Detroit trailing the Sixers 10-4 four minutes into the night. However, Detroit began to find a groove late in the first period, which resulted in the Pistons having their best quarter of the season.

Ron Holland II scored on a layup attempt to bring the Pistons within four points (28-24) with 11:22 left in the second quarter. Holland’s basket was the first of Detroit’s 13-0 run to take a 37-28 lead midway through the second frame.

The Pistons maintained their momentum to take a 54-45 lead into halftime. Detroit outscored the Sixers, 32-19, during the period. They shot 48% from the field as a team and connected on six made 3-pointers. After missing his first three attempts on the night, Cunningham erupted for 13 points during the quarter. He finished with 22 points on 6-of-15 shooting, 4-of-8 from behind the arc, seven assists and five rebounds.

Detroit continued its dominance in the third quarter and extended their halftime lead to 21 following Malik Beasley’s third 3-point field goal of the night. He finished with 11 points.

With the Pistons holding an 85-67 lead entering the fourth quarter, the Sixers gave Detroit a slight scare. Following K.J. Martin’s layup attempt, the Sixers cut their once 21-point deficit to 10. On Detroit’s next possession, Harris killed any hope of a comeback with a mid-range jumper that ignited a 7-0 run.

Up Next

The Pistons will return home Friday night in hopes of winning their second consecutive game. They will attempt to do so against the New York Knicks at Little Caesars Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET.

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