Sixers fall short of perfect weekend with missed opportunities in loss to Pistons

The Sixers were one clean possession away from a 2-0 weekend. Instead, they coughed up a winnable game to an 8-2 Pistons team and walked out of Xfinity Mobile Arena with a 111-108 loss that felt like a missed chance more than a fake, irrelevant moral victory.

No Joel Embiid. No Paul George. No Barlow, no Broome. Second night of a back-to-back. All fair context. Still does not excuse how that final possession looked.

Tyrese Maxey nearly drags them home

Tyrese Maxey finished with 33 points and seven assists and was again the only reason the Sixers had a real shot late. Detroit loaded up on him all game, and he still punched through in big moments. The deep threes, the attacks in transition, the late-game burst. He had earned the right to decide the ending.

29 PTS and counting for @TyreseMaxey 👏 pic.twitter.com/NANjyv89xZ

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 10, 2025

The final plays need to be better..

Out of a timeout, down three, the idea was a handback to Kelly Oubre to give him a driving lane. Detroit switched it, the Sixers froze, wasted the clock, and Maxey ended up forcing a tightly contested three.

No real action. No pressure on the rim. No counter. Just vibes and a prayer. It should go without saying that the Sixers cannot burn 16 seconds in a one-possession game and come away with… that.

Drummond delivers, again

Andre Drummond drew his first start of the season and did everything you could possibly ask. 17 points. 12 boards. Real rim presence. Hit two threes, battled Jalen Duren all night and held his own against one of the few bigs in the league who can match his strength.

This is exactly why he is here.

The Sixers got a starter-level performance from a backup center on the second night of a back-to-back. Hard to hang this one on him.

Jabari Walker wakes up

Jabari Walker finally looked like the guy the staff believed in.

He hit his first three of the year, then stepped into another with confidence. Fought on the offensive glass. Cut with purpose. Finished with 12 points in the first half and helped the Sixers match Detroit’s physicality. On a night with a weird rotation, Walker earned that run. Those are the minutes that can actually stick.

Jared McCain watch

Jared McCain checked in to a big ovation and is clearly still finding his rhythm.

He finished 0 for 3 with no points in nine minutes, but the effort on defense stood out. Active hands, good positioning, jumped a passing lane for a steal that turned into a Maxey three. The brace is bulky, the timing is off, but the instincts are there.

He needs time, not panic.

Cade vs Maxey in the clutch

Cade Cunningham had a rough start and then completely took over the second half.

26 points, 11 assists, and full control of the offense down the stretch. When Detroit needed a bucket, he got to his spots. When the Sixers blitzed, he made the right reads. His and-one dunk and late fadeaway were the difference.

Maxey answered as often as he could, but Detroit kept bodies in front, forced the ball out of his hands, and dared everyone else to beat them. Nobody did.

Edgecombe’s slump and the guard problems

VJ Edgecombe is pressing. The rookie looks sped up, off balance, and uncomfortable against length and pressure. Detroit did a great job bothering him, and he drifted into bad midrange attempts and loose decision making.

This is the scouting report test. Teams are loading up, and he will have to adjust. The tools are obvious. The learning curve is also obvious. The broader issue is how hard everything looks for the guards right now against physical defenses. Too many possessions with no advantage created, no paint touch, and late-clock junk.

Oubre’s swing nights

Kelly Oubre helped them early with energy and pressure, then faded. That has been a theme. The Sixers depend on him more than anyone expected. When he is attacking and hitting, they look explosive. When the shots stop falling, the offense gums up in a hurry.

The Sixers’ Execution and Awareness is still an issue

You can live with a close loss on a schedule loss night. There’s no way you can just run out there and allow stuff like this to happen…

• Broken final possession out of a timeout
• Long stretches where Maxey is the only one creating anything
• Guys fighting each other for defensive rebounds like it is a live ball drill

The role players showed up. Drummond, Walker, even some solid defensive minutes from McCain. The team effort kept them in it. The details lost it. Boston is up next. Time to clean that up.

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