Pistons 133, Sixers 132 (OT): No answer for Blake Griffin in a deadly defeat



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THE SCORE OF THE BOX

Sensational.

After JJ Redick hit a rainbow and a three to give the Sixers a lead, 5.6 seconds of overtime remained. Blake Griffin got a bucket and his on the rim to make them lose 133-132. Joel Embiid missed the potential signal of three indicators to the buzzer.

Griffin scored 50 points, his career high, when the series of two consecutive wins of the Sixers was stopped and they were kept away from their victory away from the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers are now 2-2 on the season.

What happened during the clash between Joel Embiid and André Drummond? How did Markelle Fultz approach this point?

We understood everything here in our comments.

• The Sixers had to stop a guy all night and could not do it.

Griffin went crazy from the first advice. He scored 28 points in the first period only and did not calm down after his intermission.

He shot 20 of 35 points for those 50 points and added 14 rebounds to go with six assists.

At some point, you have to slow down the one-man show. Not this time.

• While Griffin passed the game to a personal tour de force, the battle in court to watch would always be Embiid-Drummond.

The two men have already shared words, but they supposedly crushed their beef.

"These are never hard feelings," said Drummond last season. "When was the last time you saw two real big men get started? It was just a great match, I can not wait to play it again. Obviously a hell of a player. I have nothing negative to say about him.

Well, Drummond could change the deal after Tuesday night. Embiid still dominated the game with 33 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in the loss. He was also reluctant to let Drummond know that he had the upper hand, especially when he had Drummond expelled in the fourth quarter.

But Drummond, who had 14 points and 16 boards, had the last word with his first victory over Embiid.

• Fultz made his NBA debut as a leader. Ben Simmons was dismissed for lack of backstroke.

It was clear early on that Fultz is simply more comfortable in one place. The 20-year-old was able to keep the ball in his hands and control the Sixers attack, instead of drifting around the perimeter until the action unfolds before him.

Fultz was able to pick his places as he walked the halls to pull the basket, moved away from the middle and even projected another three-pointer.

He tied the highest score of his career with 13 points on 6 shots on 9 and six boards.

It's a bit bittersweet performance because Fultz was stuck to the players' bench. When Simmons returns to the formation, the sophomore player will resume searching for his role.

Clearly, Simmons is a generational talent and must have the ball to work. But the Sixers have to find a way to make Fultz run as well without losing the pace of the team.

• Simmons being already absent, Embiid scoring his second foul less than three minutes into the match was far from ideal for the Sixers.

However, the team bench was able to take over. Brett Brown employed a team composed mainly of reserve players for the first quarter pieces. He used four types of benches with Robert Covington, then a group of T.J. McConnell, JJ Redick, Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala and Amir Johnson.

These guys behaved much better since they outscored the 15-13 runners and helped the Sixers win their opening quarter of the season, 28-27.

• Covington's night will be remembered for Griffin's critical foul with 1.8 seconds remaining in OT, but that should not overshadow a solid effort.

Always aggressive in defense, the offensive game of Covington was finally matched in this one.

No, not all shots have returned. He still participated in the attack, as the swingman went to the basket more times than I have ever seen in a recent game.

He finished with 16 points (3 of 4 on three points), eight rebounds and a pair of aids.

This is the version of Covington that the Sixers need to see every night.

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