A well-rounded performance leads Sixers to an easy win over Pistons

A stunning victory? In this economy?

The Sixers welcomed Paul George back into the lineup after a three-game absence and posted a 111-96 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.

After a strong start, George slowed down and finished with 11 points on 4 of 12 shooting along with eight rebounds and five assists.

Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 28 points, shooting 11 of 24 from the field and 5 of 10 from three. What that means for him is that he shot 50% from three games in three straight games. Ricky Council IV came off the bench to score 17 points and KJ Martin had 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

Caleb Martin was out along with Joel Embiid and Kyle Lowry due to back pain. Cade Cunningham came into the game late for Detroit.

Here are some thoughts on the buzzer.

First quarter

• It wasn’t just George’s return that caused some changes to the starting lineup. Nick Nurse opted to return to his larger lineup with Guerschon Yabusele and Andre Drummond, and that meant Jared McCain came off the bench tonight. It was a great start for Drummond, who caught a lob from PG and assisted on a layup a few possessions later. Unfortunately, he landed on Tobias Harris’ foot and immediately fell to the ground. His teammate helped him back to the locker room and was sidelined later in the half with a sprained right ankle.
• To get around this, the Sixers went on an 11-2 run. Adem Bona came into the game and was found by George in the dunker spot for his third assist of the quarter. After failing to score in his last two games, Kelly Oubre Jr. hit his second three-pointer of the game, prompting a Detroit timeout.

• The younger substitutes finished the quarter well as their numbers were announced. Bona caused a couple of fouls on Isaiah Stewart. Ricky Council IV also picked up a few shooting fouls, which is one of the things he’ll have to get back to when he’s out there. The Sixers led by 17 after having a 23% better field goal percentage than the Pistons in Game 1.

Second quarter

• The only Sixer who didn’t get off to a good start was Maxey, who opened the game 2 of 9 from the floor. McCain also struggled with aggressive double teams when he was one of his own. These factors slowed the offense somewhat and allowed Detroit to take the lead.
• George looked better from the start tonight than he had in many games before his injury. He shot 3 of 6 for eight points and four assists. He seemed quite comfortable forcing his way to the basket and was capable of committing fouls when he couldn’t force his way into space. It would be nice to see them try to get more threes for him off the catch – he only grabbed one three and it was a hard-fought pull-up.

• Detroit continued to chip in, ending the half with a 14-5 run that would have been worse for the Sixers had a Council three-pointer not bounced downfield from the front. Council was the Sixers’ leading scorer with 13 as they took a five-point lead into halftime.

Third quarter

• Maxey was ready to put the first half behind him. He opened the third period with his first four shots – two layups and two three-pointers. That helped the Sixers breathe a little as they went on a 12-3 run capped by a put-back dunk from KJ Martin.
• Speaking of Martin, he had a really nice evening on both sides. In addition to the usual hustle and attention he displays on defense, he hit his first six field shots tonight, including two three-pointers. His teammates want him to shoot more, and this was the highest willingness he’s ever seen this season. He was 2 of 3 from deep through three quarters.
• Bona has done a pretty good job so far and been out there without making any mistakes, which isn’t easy for a rookie. However, he definitely did more than just that on his first shift of the second half. His play was highlighted by two blocks, including a runner from Jaden Ivey that required him to go upfield. The Sixers reversed their fortunes in the third quarter and finished with a 20-point lead, their largest lead in a game so far this season.

Fourth quarter

• It was a strange game for McCain, who hadn’t fired a shot until the end of the third quarter. He quickly scored five points with a mid-range free throw and a slick left-foot layup, but Detroit focused most of the night on getting the ball out of his hands.
• He certainly would have liked to have gotten off to better starts, but there’s something to be said about how good Maxey has been in the second half of the last two games. Tonight, 20 of his 28 came after halftime. The Sixers weren’t really in danger of losing their lead, but his shots were reassuring in a slow final quarter.

• For two-way players Lester Quinones and Justin Edwards, it was probably a nice feeling to see the field in a win. Because this season has been so bad, they have seen a lot of bad minutes this year, even though it was usually the Sixers at the other end of the season.
• Next up for the Sixers is one of the few matchups in which they have fared well so far this season. They travel to Charlotte to play their final NBA Cup game against the Hornets on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET.