The Philadelphia 76ers are top of the Eastern Conference with a 12-5 start and have won three games in a row, but not all have come easily. The Sixers had to dig deep to pick up a few wins and had to show perseverance that will help them in the future.
They had to dig deep Saturday to beat the Detroit Pistons on the road after pulling before 11 in the first half. The Pistons went into the game at the worst Eastern Conference 3-12, but they have lost a lot of close games and have been fighting teams.
They even led the Sixers 63-61 at half-time so Philadelphia had to respond. Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris came together for 49 of their 61 points at the half. Detroit was a lot more physical and playing basketball desperately looking to feel good about something.
“They were just playing harder, honestly,” Rivers said of the Pistons. “I always thought the energy would get the calls and you’ll see that. When we used our energy, things went our way and that was exactly how it worked. ”
Rivers wanted more of his team in the locker room because he knows they can do it.
“We know we can,” Simmons said. “It’s just about doing and locking in. Everyone has a job, their responsibilities. It’s not every night that someone is going to play a big offensive game or do what they normally do at a high level all the time. But the coach lets us know if you can give us something else to help us win, go out and do just that. ”
In the second half, the Sixers upped the defense and then got big attempts from lads like Seth Curry and the bench to block out the win. It doesn’t matter how it is done, as long as they come away with a win.
“It wasn’t a beautiful game with us, but it was a win,” said Rivers. “It was one of those NBA games where you could see our feet. We had so many wide open pictures down the field, everything was under the edge. We just had to survive the game, and I thought that our boys did that. So, happy with the win. ”
The Sixers were also able to win on the road, a place that is still a bit difficult for them, and they were able to perform on the second night of backup. For them, this was an important win for them. They need that courage to keep fighting going.
“It was a road win, which we have to keep chalk on,” said Rivers. “It was the first win in one of those back lines, and it’s so important to win that first game when you have those back games with the same team, we’ve done that. There were a lot of good things. ”
The Sixers will finish their two-game road series with the Pistons Monday in Detroit.