The Sixers put Friday's game against the Pistons away long before it was over, 114-78.
They jumped out to a 13-point lead and were up by 32 in the second quarter. At one point, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons had combined for as many points as all the Pistons (35).
The Sixers easily beat the Pistons to move back up to .500 (19-19). Their previous largest margin of victory this season was 21 points. The Sixers have won three straight against the Pistons to sweep the season series.
• The Sixers' 62-32 halftime lead was the first 30-point lead at the half since Jan. 23, 2012, against the Wizards. They held the Pistons to the fewest first-half points since Nov. 21, 2015, by the Heat.
• Embiid played without any restrictions in his second game since spraining his right hand. He thrives on matchups against other big men and looked to draw contact against Andre Drummond. Embiid scored 23 points and had nine rebounds in 25 minutes. (He did not play in the fourth quarter because of the Sixers' lead.) Drummond had a quiet offensive night of 10 points, eight boards and five dimes (29 minutes).
• Simmons used his size and physicality to get to the basket at will. He posted 19 points, nine assists, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 23 minutes. Like Embiid, he sat in the fourth.
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After tiptoeing the sideline, @BenSimmons25 SLAMS with authority.#NBAVote - He has 15 on 7-for-10 shooting. pic.twitter.com/yf0FoCOaOQ— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 6, 2018
• Brett Brown plans to play Richaun Holmes more often at power forward. He did so in the first quarter, pairing Holmes first with Amir Johnson and then with Embiid. Holmes played the four earlier in his career with the Sixers before being grouped in with the other centers.
"There's just an incredibly high motor. There's a familiarity that those two guys have had, they've been with each other for awhile now," Brown said pregame. "The coexistence of Richaun as a four alongside of Joel is something you're going to see me play with."
• Justin Anderson played in his first game since Nov. 15. He had been sidelined by shin splints in his left leg. Anderson played 8:28 and went scoreless (0 for 3 from three with four rebounds). Rarely-utilized two-way contract player James Michael McAdoo knocked down a three in his seven minutes of playing time.
• The Sixers outrebounded the Pistons, 55-34. It was a total team effort on the boards - no player reached double digits.
• Julius Erving rang the ceremonial bell before the game. The Sixers wore the red "Statement Edition" uniforms in honor of Erving's windmill cradle dunk, which he threw down over the Lakers' Michael Cooper on this date in 1983.
• The Sixers' spirit continued with these specially-made sneakers:
Check out the kicks on #Sixers in-arena host Archie (made @treadyshoes). pic.twitter.com/RepQa416gE— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) January 5, 2018
