By: Kylan Watson

Ben Simmons came into this two-game match-up with the Detroit Pistons looking to pick-up where he left off. He surely reminded the league and fans what it looks like when he decides to fully leave his mark on the game. As he propelled Philly to a 114-110 victory over the Pistons.

Philly started the game off strong in the first quarter as they hit their first nine shots and got off to an early lead. This was really propelled by Simmons who hit his first three shots and really was dominating on both ends of the court. He scored 20-points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had seven assists. His defense and effort kept Philly in the game.

However, the Sixers did not hit a three-point shot until late in the second quarter. The lack of a presence beyond the arc allowed the Pistons to erase a six-point lead and get out to a one-point lead by half-time.

Philly was on the second game of a back-to-back game and it showed. They got off to a sluggish start and made some mistakes that propelled the Pistons into an 11-point lead. It took the combined efforts of Simmons, forward Tobias Harris, and center Joel Embiid. To get Philly back into the game.

Detroit played the Sixers tough; they took advantage of 15-turnovers by Philly. That allowed them to take attack Philly in the paint and take advantage of their high three-point percentage which was 42.3%. Specifically, the combo of rookie forward Saddiq Bey and guard Wayne Ellington. Both combined for 28-points. They needed those points as the defense of Simmons shutdown Jerami Grant.  Both continued to make it difficult for the Sixers and helped them cut a late Philly lead to six-points.

The Sixers were able to withstand a game Pistons team because of their big three of Simmons, Embiid and Harris. Specifically, Simmons had another great game that showed the league and fans that he may be coming into his own and starting to flourish in Rivers system.