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A Philadelphia 76ers blog, hosted by Christopher A. Vito

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Everything broke the Sixers' way in Saturday's slump-busting win against Detroit

(Associated Press)


In the 76ers’ win Saturday, everything had to go right for them to break out of their two-month slump.

It wasn’t just a matter of making shots, which they did. Or the Detroit Pistons rolling over, which they did. Looking at the box score and speaking with players from both sides revealed just how imbalanced the game was, in the Sixers’ favor.

Granted, the Pistons were on tired legs after getting thrashed a night earlier by visiting Miami. But fatigue was not the sole reason behind the Sixers’ ability to snap a 26-game losing streak that matched the NBA record. Listless play from Detroit was another.

“There was no effort tonight, absolutely no effort,” Pistons big man Greg Monroe said.

“They wanted it more than we did,” added Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey.

When Sixers reserves Casper Ware and Elliot Williams are able to run a fastbreak alley-oop connection between one another, outrunning two Pistons in the process … yeah, that’s usually a solid indicator that the other team got outhustled and outworked. When Detroit’s second-leading scorer, Brandon Jennings, gets tossed in the first quarter with two technical for arguing a lack of foul calls … yep, another good indicator for the Sixers.

Here are a few numbers from the stat sheet, which went a long way toward assuring the Sixers of their first victory in two months:


  • The Sixers scored 123 points. Their season average is 99.
  • They held Detroit to 98 points. Their season average is a league-worst 110.
  • They shot 52.2 percent. Their season average is 43.0 percent, second-worst in the league.
  • They shot 57.1 percent from 3-point range. Their season average is a league-worst 31.0 percent.
  • Reserve big man Jarvis Varnado established career-highs with 9 points and 6 blocked shots.


The Sixers played their best game in 60 days, yes. They caught a break with Jennings’ meltdown, for sure. And the Pistons’ lack of effort took care of the rest, helping the Sixers stave off infamy.

“It’s not something I want to be a part of, so it’s great we got this win,” Sixers rookie Michael Carter-Williams said.

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