PHILADELPHIA – The Sixers brought some renewed defensive cohesion to Sunday's game against the Detroit Pistons, but some uncharacteristic struggles on the offensive end sunk them in a 111-108 loss. The Sixers were without Joel Embiid, but Detroit was without two rotation fixtures – including old friend Tobias Harris. It was a winnable game, and the Sixers could not quite capitalize because their offensive work was not pristine.
Tyrese Maxey got better as the game went on, but his offense was merely very good instead of elite on a night when the Sixers needed the latter. VJ Edgecombe did little of note; his offensive struggles can officially be labeled a slump. Their struggles outweighed strong performances from Andre Drummond and Jabari Walker, whose strong showings nearly netted the Sixers a surprising victory. Maxey's closing effort was admirable, but it was Cade Cunningham's Pistons who prevailed after a few chaotic final minutes in which Detroit's star shined just a bit brighter.
The Sixers will have to settle for a split finish in their weekend back-to-back. They are officially 1-1 when donning their black throwback uniforms.
Everything that stood out from the Sixers' fourth loss of the 2025-26 campaign:
Andre Drummond scales up his impressive play
It was hard to imagine Drummond not overtaking Adem Bona's spot in the starting five with Joel Embiid sidelined, and Sunday indeed turned out to be the veteran's day. Against the team that drafted him and allowed him to blossom into an NBA mainstay, Drummond submitted a vintage performance, scoring around the rim as a play finisher, providing all of the muscle necessary and, of course, acting as a stabilizing force on the glass.
Make no mistake: Bona remains a vital piece for the Sixers moving forward; given Embiid's lack of consistent availability even the third-string center in Philadelphia is critically important. The second-year center's minutes were better on Sunday than they were on Saturday, when he struggled mightily. But this team has just been better with Drummond and his rebounding on the floor than it has been with Bona and his shot-blocking out there.
Everything will remain fluid, but Drummond is ahead of Bona in the depth chart for now. That will remain the case heading into the team's next game, as Drummond had a tremendous performance on Sunday. He knocked down two corner threes, and by the time the second one went down midway through the third quarter Drummond had already collected a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double on only eight shot attempts.
One of the more jarring aspects of Drummond's nightmarish campaign in 2024-25 was that it actually did not feel like he was all that impactful as a rebounder. But now, there is no doubt the glass belongs to Drummond once again. Even when he does not actually corral a board, Drummond often ends up drawing a foul on the floor to revive a possession. His imposing physicality is evident, and his improved mobility after losing considerable weight over the summer has been crucial as well. Drummond is not perfect – his ill-advised three-point try in crunch time was not ideal – but he certainly looks the part of a viable piece of a center rotation right now.
Jabari Walker finally leaves a stronger mark
Over the course of the last handful of games, Walker has done a tremendous amount of dirty work. But he did not make a single three-pointer across the Sixers' first nine games of the season, and at some point the two-way power forward has to prove capable of putting the ball in the basket, even if just sporadically. His scoring utility has been almost completely limited to put-back layups, and while Walker's offensive rebounding has been impactful it cannot be the only his only utility on that end of the floor.
On Sunday, it really felt like Walker needed to make a strong impression. He has shown he can play, but he has not looked like a true difference-maker, and the clock is ticking with Paul George (knee) and Dominick Barlow (elbow) nearing returns to action. Right on cue, Walker stepped up in a major way. After converting two misses into makes via the offensive glass, Walker finally connected on a corner triple, sending the Sixers bench into a frenzy. Minutes later, Walker drilled a triple from the wing. He shot it with confidence, and it reminded of a conversation Walker had with PhillyVoice before the season started about his development from beyond the arc.
“My mindset's just changed. I’mlooking to shoot the ball," Walker said. "When I'm open, I’m happy to shoot the ball. Before, it was kind of like, ‘Alright, I have to shoot the ball. This is the right thing to do.’ But now I'mtrying to seek it out. So when you have that confidence, the results are just automatically going to be better because of your mindset.”
Finally, those results Walker expected came to fruition. And Nurse led Walker ride the momentum, leaving him on the floor for a 12-minute stint. Walker converted another put-back bucket, and eventually completed that long burst of action with 12 points and five rebounds on 5-for-6 shooting from the field. It was a real moment for Walker, who has been desperate for that kind of standout stretch all season.
With George and Barlow eventually coming back and Trendon Watford starring in his role at power forward, it is very possible that Walker's path to a long-term rotation role will include small-ball center minutes. Walker was, technically, the Sixers' backup center in this one. It is a spot he has familiarity in dating back to his three years with the Portland Trail Blazers, and Walker expressed confidence during training camp that he could hold down a regular role there.
“I'm honestly super familiar with it. I played, especially last season, I played more five than anything," Walker said. "...I think it's tough for a traditional five to get out there and get to the corners [against] my speed and things like that. I think I can be impactful there, continue to rebound at a high level, continue to make plays, just run them. I think that's a big thing, especially [against] just a traditional five that can't keep up. So there's definitely some advantages.”
Odds and ends
Some additional notes:
• Jared McCain finally got back on his home floor on Sunday, and the 21-year-old fan favorite received a rousing ovation as he checked into the game midway through the second quarter. McCain still very much looked like a player getting used to wearing a bulky knee brace – McCain was open in discussing the difficulties of that acclimation process on Friday after the Sixers held practice – but he felt like a more natural fit this time around. McCain was not on the ball much; as brilliant as Maxey is and Edgecombe has been there should be some emphasis placed on letting McCain get back into a ball-handling role. But he actually held his own defensively to a surprising degree, getting his hands on basketballs quite often early on.
After going 0-for-2 from the field in a six-minute stint prior to intermission, McCain logged a quick three-minute stint to begin the fourth quarter and missed his only shot attempt, a tough layup through contact. McCain has yet to score in two appearances this season.
• Even without anything flashy, another solid Quentin Grimes performance is in the books. The Sixers being able to bring a player of Grimes' caliber off the bench and rely on him for steady doses of three-point shooting, ball-handling, one-on-one scoring and versatile perimeter defense is a massive luxury, even in what has become a crowded and talented backcourt group. This team has had some depth issues early in the season, but having someone like Grimes in a sixth starter role makes Nurse's life a whole lot easier.
Up next: The Sixers will be back in action on Tuesday, when they play host to the Boston Celtics. In just a few weeks, three of the four matchups in 2025-26 between the two rivals will be out of the way.
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice