The fans in Philadelphia are expecting a lot from their 76ers this season. The Sixers finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last season with a 28-54 record and the last time they were in the playoffs was during the 2011-12 season. This season, they finally have a full and healthy roster, and many expect them to make the playoffs after five seasons. Philadelphia faced the Detroit Pistons on Monday night, hoping to get their first win of the season after losing their first three games.
Embiid leads the Sixers to their first win of the season
The 76ers played great from the opening tip on Monday night. They opened up the game with a 31-point first quarter, outscoring the Pistons 31-22 in the period. Midway through the second quarter, their lead was 21 points (51-30) and they held a 56-43 lead at halftime. Detroit tried to make a comeback in the third quarter, outscoring the 76ers 24-19 in the period, but they were still down 75-67 after three-quarters of the game. The Sixers closed out the game with a 22-point fourth quarter, holding the Pistons to just 19 points in the final period of the game. The final score was 97-86 for Philadelphia, as they celebrated their first win of the 2017-18 season.
Joel Embiid led the way for the 76ers on Monday night. Embiid finished the game with 30 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes of playing time. He had great in Ben Simmons, who finished with a triple-double. Simmons had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Robert Covington added 13 points and five rebounds for Philly.
For the Pistons, Reggie Jackson was the leading scorer with 16 points.
He also added seven assists and six rebounds, while Avery Bradley added 15 points.
Phoenix with a narrow victory
The Phoenix Suns faced the Sacramento Kings after firing their head coach Earl Watson on Monday, just three games into the season. The Suns were determined to get the win against the Kings, outscoring them 36-17 in the first quarter.
Sacramento answered with a 34-point second quarter, holding Phoenix to 23 points in the period, but the Suns were in front 59-51 at halftime. There was little defense played by both teams in this one and heading into the fourth quarter, Phoenix held an 87-76 lead. The Kings tried to make a comeback in the final period of the game, scoring 39 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough. The Suns managed to come away with a narrow, 117-115 victory, giving them their first win of the season.
Five players scored at least 11 points for Phoenix in their win against Sacramento. Devin Booker led them with 22 points and five assists, while Marqueese Chriss added 19 points and six rebounds. Mike James scored 18 points and dished out seven assists for the Suns.
Garrett Temple led the Kings with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting. De'Aaron Fox added 19 points, five rebounds and four assists for Sacramento, while Buddy Hield finished with 14 points in 16 minutes of action.
