Pistons vs 76ers: unbeaten teams clash short-handed in Philadelphia
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The 2-0 Pistons visit the 3-0 76ers in Philadelphia at 7:30 pm ET on Sunday, October 25.
- Joel Embiid and Jalen Duren are both out hurt, so each team must change its plan at center.
- LeBron James is set to return for Philadelphia, and Paul Reed starts at center for Detroit.
Two unbeaten teams meet in Philadelphia on Sunday night. The Detroit Pistons visit the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 pm ET. Only one team can leave with a perfect record.
The Pistons are 2-0. The 76ers are 3-0. The game is at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Fans in Philadelphia can watch on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Fans in Detroit can watch on TV20 Detroit. The game also streams on Fubo and DAZN-Detroit.
What happened
The big news is who will not play. Joel Embiid is out for Philadelphia. The team lists the reason as right plantar fasciitis management.
That is a foot problem that causes pain under the foot.
Embiid wanted to play. He spoke to reporters after the win over Milwaukee on Saturday. "I want to play tomorrow, so start writing articles and put pressure on them so they'll let me play," he said, according to PhillyVoice.
Embiid played on Saturday. He scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He also made 10 assists.
That gave him the 10th triple-double of his career. A triple-double means double digits in points, rebounds, and assists in one game.
Philadelphia beat Milwaukee 127-116 on Saturday. That win kept the 76ers unbeaten at 3-0. But it came on the first night of two games on two nights in a row.
Embiid said he would play in only one half of the back-to-back. He chose Saturday. That left Sunday open for rest.
Injuries have limited him to 96 games across the last three seasons, according to theScore.
Detroit has its own big loss. Jalen Duren is out with a right hamstring strain. A hamstring is a muscle at the back of the leg.
He will miss at least two weeks, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Duren started the season well. He scored 22 points in the opener. He shot 8 for 13 from the field.
He also grabbed nine rebounds.
He hurt the leg in the second game against Miami. He left in the first half. Ausar Thompson also left that game with an ankle sprain.
Thompson is out for Sunday as well.
Detroit still won that game in Miami. The Pistons won 128-111 on Friday. They made 18 three-point shots.
That tied their best mark from last season.
LeBron James is set to return for Philadelphia. He sat out on Saturday. The reason was low back and sciatica management.
Sciatica is nerve pain that runs down the leg.
James is not on the Sunday injury report. That means he is clear to play. He gives Philadelphia a star to lean on with Embiid out.
Philadelphia will play small ball at center. That means smaller players fill the center spot. LeBron James and Dean Wade will share the big-man roles, according to the Free Press.
Dean Wade is fit to play. He missed two games with an ankle injury. He returned on Saturday.
He is set for a second straight night.
VJ Edgecombe is out for Philadelphia. He has an abdominal contusion. That is a bruise on the stomach area.
Dominick Barlow, Tacko Fall, and Jabari Walker are also out.
Sunday is a busy NBA night. We also previewed the Lakers-Jazz game earlier in the day.
Why it matters
This game is an early test for both teams. Both teams hope to fight for the Eastern Conference crown. The conference is one half of the NBA.
The NBA is the top pro basketball league in North America.
Detroit kept its young core together. The team added John Collins and Isaiah Joe in the off-season. Philadelphia made bigger moves.
The team traded Paul George for Jaylen Brown. It also added LeBron James.
Last season, Detroit swept the season series. The Pistons won all four games. Embiid missed all four of those games.
That makes Sunday night more interesting.
Cade Cunningham leads Detroit. He averages 19.0 points per game. He also averages 8.0 assists per game.
Duncan Robinson also averages 19.0 points per game. Seven Pistons average double digits in points so far.
Detroit now shoots more threes. Last season, the team tried 30.9 threes per game. That ranked 29th in the league.
Through two games this season, the team tries 39 per game.
Paul Reed steps in at center for Detroit. Reed used to play for Philadelphia. He came off the bench against Miami.
He scored 19 points in 26 minutes. He shot 8 for 10 from the field. He made both of his three-point shots.
He also grabbed 11 rebounds and made three assists.
Reed knows the 76ers well. He knows their players and their style. That could help Detroit on Sunday night.
For Philadelphia, depth is the test. The team is short at center. Adem Bona is the only true center left on the roster, according to theScore.
Wade and James must fill the gaps.
The Sixers also play on tired legs. They played on Saturday night. Detroit had a day of rest.
That edge could matter late in the game.
Cleveland also hosted a big early game. We previewed the Nets-Cavaliers game in Cleveland.
What happens next
The winner stays unbeaten. The loser takes a first loss. Both teams still have a long season ahead.
But an early win over a rival builds belief.
Detroit moves on to New York next. The Pistons visit the New York Knicks on Tuesday, October 27. The Knicks are the defending champions, according to the Free Press.
The teams meet again soon. The second game is Wednesday, November 4 in Detroit. It airs on ESPN at 7 pm Detroit visits Philadelphia again on February 5.
Duren will miss at least two weeks. Detroit must cope without him. John Collins may also play minutes at center.
Reed will lead the way in the meantime.
Embiid should return after rest. The Sixers want him fresh for the long season. His health is key to their title hopes.
Detroit beat Boston in its opener. Our preview of that opening-day matinee covered that game.
Sunday night gives fans a clear early answer. One unbeaten run ends. The other team gains a big early win.
The season is young, but this game already feels big.
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