PHILADELPHIA -- Stan Van Gundy was livid. His team was losing -- very, very badly -- and he was just assesed a techincal foul. The Pistons coach stomped up the sideline to give the official a piece of his mind.
Along the way, he passed prominent film director M. Night Shayamalan, a Philadelphia native best known for a career of movies littered with plot twists.
Entering Friday night, the Pistons were sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Sixers were in ninth, on the bubble, on the outside looking in.
By the time Van Gundy was T'd up, the Sixers were up by 30 points. They won 114-78, and it was never close.
Plot twist: Philadelphia was clearly the better team. That's not quite Shayamalan level, though -- the Sixers have won all three matchups with the Pistons so far this season. One more, on April 4 in Detroit, and Philadelphia will complete the sweep.
Sixers legend and NBA Hall-of-Famer Julius Erving was in the building on Friday, ringing the ceremonial pre-game bell to start things off. It was over before long.
It didn't help that the Pistons weren't at full strength -- point guard Reggie Jackson and forward Stanley Johnson both missed the game due to injury.
Ben Simmons scored 11 first-quarter points as the Sixers jumped to a 32-15 in the opening frame. By the time Sixers center Joel Embiid converted an and-one just before halftime -- and just after Van Gundy's techincal foul -- the Sixers had taken a 30 point lead. Philadelphia didn't let up in the second half either, outscoring Detroit 52-46.
The Sixers won't play again until Thursday against the Celtics in London. The team departs on Monday.
Will Sixers' Ben Simmons be named an All-Star?
Player of the game: Ben Simmons. The rookie's hot start set the tone for the blowout, and he never let up. Simmons finished the night with 19 points on 9 of 13 shooting, four rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks.
Key storyline: Joel Embiid vs. Andre Drummond. We discussed the feud between the two young big men here. Embiid dominated the match-up. Again. Drummond, battling a rib injury, struggled defending Embiid, who scored 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting and corralled nine rebounds. Drummond finished with 10 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes, the frustration boiling over into a techinical foul in the third quarter. Advantage: Embiid.
Rim shots:
- Before the game, the Sixers officially announced the signing of ex-Celtics forward James Young to a two-way contract. Young will wear No. 8, the number previously worn by Jahlil Okafor before he was traded to the Nets last month.
- The Sixers called up Delaware 87ers forward James Michael McAdoo and he played seven minutes in the fourth quarter and scored three points with three rebounds. McAdoo is also on a two-way contract.
- Sixers forward Justin Anderson (shin splints, left leg) wasn't expected to play as of pre-game shootaround, but entered in the fourth quarter with the Sixers leading by 36 points. The third-year pro hadn't played since Nov. 15.
- Andre Drummond (ribs) played after missing Detroit's previous game against the Heat on Wednesday.
- Pistons wing Stanley Johnson (hip) was out, his third missed game in a row. He was a game-time decision.
- Ex-Sixers guard Ish Smith started for Detroit in place of the injured Reggie Jackson. He scored 11 points.