Griffin half-century as unbeaten Pistons top 76ers

BLAKE Griffin scored a careerhigh 50 points as the Detroit Pistons extended their unbeaten start to the season with an overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

Griffin weighed in with a driving layup to tie the score with just under 2 seconds left on the clock and drew a foul from Robert Covington before making a free throw to seal a 133-132 NBA victory at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena.

Griffin also added 14 rebounds and 6 assists as the Pistons laid down a marker to their Eastern Conference rivals.

Griffin’s career night also included one highlight-reel worthy moment in the second quarter when he soared above Sixers big man Joel Embiid to slam down a monster dunk.

“We just kept fighting,” Griffin said. “We kept taking punches.

“At halftime I said this wasn’t going to be a game where the person who punches the most wins. It’s going to be about the person who can absorb the most punches, and we did that. We just believed and kept fighting and finished the game.”

Griffin was one of five players to finish with double digit scoring figures, with Reggie Jackson claiming 23 points and Ish Smith adding 21 off the bench.

The victory gave Detroit three wins out of three as it sets out on its latest bid to return to the postseason.

The Pistons have not made the playoffs since 2016, when they finished eighth in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia’s preparations, meanwhile, were jolted earlier on Tuesday when Australianborn guard Ben Simmons was ruled out with tightness in his lower back.

Sixers coach Brett Brown said the decision to rest Simmons was precautionary, adding that he hopes to play against the Milwaukee Bucks today.

With Simmons missing, Embiid stepped up to shoulder the offensive burden with 33 points while JJ Redick added 30. Covington poured in 16 points, and Dario Saric 14.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, it was: Pelicans 116, Clippers 109; and Nuggets 126, Kings 112.