76ers 112, Pistons 106: Jaylen Brown Scores 30, Blocks Cade Cunningham Late as Sixers Win East Showdown

The Philadelphia 76ers won the early-season fight for first place in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night, Nov. 4. Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 30 points and blocked a Cade Cunningham 3-point try with 37 seconds left as the Sixers held off the Detroit Pistons 112-106 at Little Caesars Arena, the Associated Press reported.

Philadelphia improved to 8-1. Its only loss this season came at home against these same Pistons, who fell to 6-2 but still lead the Central Division.

76ers vs. Pistons: the final score

• Final: 76ers 112, Pistons 106
• By quarter: Philadelphia 29-27-35-21; Detroit 21-21-33-31
• Halftime: 76ers 56, Pistons 42
• Records: 76ers 8-1, Pistons 6-2

How the 76ers built the lead

Detroit started fast, with Duncan Robinson hitting a corner 3 and the Pistons scoring eight paint points in the first five minutes, MLive reported. With center Jalen Duren still out with a hamstring injury, Philadelphia went to Joel Embiid against smaller defenders. He led a 10-0 run, and Brown’s buzzer-beating 3 put the Sixers up eight after one quarter.

The Sixers stretched the lead to 17 in the second quarter as Adem Bona found room inside. Brown had 23 points by halftime. Detroit shot just 37.2% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range in the first half, per MLive.

The Pistons pushed back in the third behind John Collins dunks and Cunningham’s drives. Still, late 3s from Tyrese Maxey and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope put Philadelphia back up 16 going into the fourth.

Detroit’s late rally and Brown’s block

Ausar Thompson gave Detroit energy early in the fourth, and Kevin Huerter capped an 11-2 run with a 3 that got the Pistons back to single digits. Robinson hit a running 3 in the final three minutes and Cunningham kept attacking the rim.

After a defensive stop, Cunningham pulled up from deep with a chance to make it a one-possession game. Brown blocked it with 37 seconds left, and Philadelphia closed it out at the foul line. Reports differ slightly on how close Detroit got: MLive said the Pistons got within four, while AP said they pulled within six.

76ers vs. Detroit Pistons player stats

Philadelphia 76ers - Jaylen Brown: 30 points (11-of-19, 3-of-5 from 3), 7 rebounds, 1 block - Joel Embiid: 26 points (10-of-10 free throws), 15 rebounds - Tyrese Maxey: 19 points on 5-of-16 shooting, 7 assists - LeBron James: 13 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists - VJ Edgecombe: 11 points, 6 rebounds

Detroit Pistons - Duncan Robinson: 27 points, 7-of-11 from 3 - Cade Cunningham: 26 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds (9-of-22 shooting) - John Collins: 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting - Ausar Thompson: 11 points, 17 rebounds - Paul Reed: 8 points, 7 rebounds

The Sixers made 25 of 28 free throws, while Detroit went 18-of-23, according to the ESPN box score. Philadelphia also won the rebounding battle 48-41.

Notable moments: LeBron’s milestone, Maxey’s off night

James, 41, hit a left-handed runner early in the second quarter that made him the first player in NBA history to make 16,000 field goals, AP reported. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, second on the all-time scoring list, made 15,837.

Maxey was held to a season-low 19 points. AP noted he had scored at least 26 in every other game this season. Late in the first half, Embiid was called for a technical foul after a review found he started pushing and shoving with Pistons center Tolu Smith.

What the result means in the East

The win gives Philadelphia a 1.5-game edge over Detroit at the top of the conference, per MLive. For Detroit, it ended a three-game winning streak. Cunningham and Robinson combined for 53 points, but the Pistons couldn’t overcome their cold first half.

What’s next

• 76ers: at Cleveland on Friday night
• Pistons: host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the first night of a back-to-back

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