76ers win 12th straight, eliminate Pistons
DETROIT » JJ Redick scored 25 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers won their 12th straight game, eliminating Detroit from playoff contention with a 115-108 victory over the Pistons on Wednesday night.
The Pistons had their five-game winning streak snapped, and their defeat clinched a postseason spot for the Milwaukee Bucks. The Eastern Conference playoff field is now set, although there’s still plenty of uncertainty over the actual matchups. Philadelphia pulled even with Cleveland for third place in the East.
Anthony Tolliver scored 25 points for the Pistons and went 7 of 8 from 3-point range. Detroit was without star forward Blake Griffin (bruised right ankle) and the 76ers were missing center Joel Embiid (concussion, orbital fracture).
Redick scored 13 points in the first quarter, and backup big man Richaun Holmes had back-to-back dunks to give Philadelphia an 18-17 advantage. An alley-oop to Holmes put the 76ers up 36-28 after one.
The lead reached 19 in the second quarter. Philadelphia was up 65-49 at halftime, and the margin didn’t reach single digits again until the waning moments of the fourth. Detroit did manage to snap Philadelphia’s streak of nine straight double-digit wins.
Redick finished 10 of 13 from the field and 5 of 7 from beyond the arc.
TIP-INS
76ERS » Philadelphia was without F Dario Saric (right elbow cellulitis), and F Robert Covington was shaken up in the third quarter after taking an elbow to the cheek from Detroit’s Reggie Jackson. Covington was able to finish the game, however . ... Marco Belinelli scored 19 points and Ben Simmons had 16.
PISTONS » Andre Drummond had 13 points and 15 rebounds.
CELEBRITIES
Moe Wagner, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson, fresh off their Final Four appearance with Michigan, were shown on the big screen at the game and drew a roar from the crowd.
UP NEXT
76ERS » Host Cleveland on Friday night.