Joel Embiid drops 37-point double-double as Sixers blast Detroit Pistons

Joel Embiid drew two quick fouls on the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren. Then, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player spun around James Wiseman and hit a jumper over the former No. 2 overall draft pick.

That all occurred during Tuesday’s first five minutes, as Embiid continues to round into form before the playoffs. He finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, anchoring the shorthanded 76ers’ 120-102 victory over the lowly Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center to extend their winning streak to six games.

“The guy that passed him the ball was cutting out there right away to create space,” coach Nick Nurse said of how the Sixers played around Embiid. “We’ve been working on not only cutting, but having your eyes up and your hands ready. If you don’t get it, at least you’re probably drawing a weak-side defender.

“But [Embiid] zipped a couple in there pretty good tonight. ... I thought our cutting in general was excellent. I thought we gave him space where he needed it, for the most part.”

Tuesday’s win ensured the Sixers (45-35) would not lose ground in the tightly packed Eastern Conference standings with two regular-season games remaining. They remained in seventh place, a half-game up on the eighth-place Miami Heat (who topped the Atlanta Hawks in double-overtime Tuesday) and one game behind the sixth-place Indiana Pacers (who beat the Toronto Raptors). The Sixers conclude the regular season with home matchups against the Orlando Magic on Friday, and the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

» READ MORE: With playoff seeding at stake, the Sixers take on a crucial homestand. Their approach? ‘Just win.’

Embiid, in his fourth game since recovering from left knee surgery, particularly dominated the Pistons’ young centers in the first half. He totaled 20 points before the break by making seven of his first nine shots, and added six assists during that span. Later, Embiid drilled two three-pointers that helped the Sixers’ lead balloon to as many as 24 points in the final period. He finished 12-of-22 from the floor, 4-of-9 from three-point range, and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in 36 minutes, his highest total since returning.

The scoring and playmaking from Embiid propelled the Sixers on a night they were missing their starting backcourt, as All-Star Tyrese Maxey was sidelined with hip tightness and veteran Kyle Lowry sat out his second consecutive game with knee swelling. Cameron Payne (five points, six assists, five rebounds) slid into the starting lineup, while De’Anthony Melton returned from a spine issue to finish with five points, three rebounds, and three assists in 16 minutes in his first game action since Feb. 27.

Still, the Sixers needed to counter a third-quarter push by the Pistons (13-66). Detroit sliced a 14-point first-half deficit to 71-70 when Marcus Sasser followed a Jaden Ivey three-pointer with two deep shots of his own about seven minutes remaining in the frame. But Embiid answered with a putback and driving finish, giving the Sixers a five-point cushion, before that advantage eventually stretched back out to 90-78 on a bucket by Kelly Oubre Jr. just before the third-quarter buzzer.

Oubre finished with 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting, while Tobias Harris added 15 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists, and Buddy Hield finished with 18 points on 5-of-9 from long range and six rebounds. Harris gave the Sixers a 64-50 lead on two free throws in the second quarter’s final minute, before the Pistons answered with their charge out of the halftime break.