Can 76ers Finish the Story?

Philadelphia has battled adversity this season, but with Joel Embiid (questionable) back in the mix, they have a five-game winning streak. Avoiding the play-in tournament is possible, as they’re only one game back of the Pacers for that. For Philly, it begins with a defensive rating that’s 11th in the league. This year’s team is the sixth-best at stopping three-pointers. They’re also the fourth-best at forcing turnovers. However, the 76ers are 26th in defensive rebounding percentage and 25th in free throw attempts allowed, so there are flaws. Still, the Pistons have not been one of the teams to exploit them this season.

As the season nears its conclusion, the 76ers find themselves 14th in offensive rating. Embiid should help that improve before the postseason begins. This is a team that is second in turnover percentage, so ball security is seldom an issue. They’re also second in free throw percentage with the fourth-most attempts per contest. Philadelphia is 10th in offensive rebounding percentage. Those numbers help to hide the fact that the 76ers have below-average efficiency from all three scoring levels. They’re 19th in true shooting percentage. What will Tuesday night bring?

Detroit Almost Done

This terrible rollercoaster ride is near its conclusion for the Pistons. No team has a worse record than Detroit, who had a record-long losing streak at one point. The team is 29th in net rating, 27th in offensive rating, and 26th in defensive rating. Starting with their offense, the Pistons struggle thanks to a true shooting percentage that’s 26th in the NBA. They’re 27th in turnover percentage. Along with those flaws, they’re only 19th in offensive rebounding percentage and 15th in free throw attempts per game. Star Cade Cunningham is questionable for this game. Getting on the board is a chore for Detroit this season.

On the other end, the Pistons’ issues begin by allowing the third-most free throw attempts per game and forcing the third-fewest turnovers. They’re no better than 20th at forcing misses from any of the three scoring levels. Detroit’s defense also allows the fifth-highest percentage of field goal attempts to come at the rim. Looking at the few positives, the Pistons give up the fifth-fewest three-point attempts per game and have the fourth-highest defensive rebounding percentage. Can they slow down the 76ers for once?