Covington Scores 16 For 76ers In 97-79 Win Over Pistons
CHRIS NELSEN, Associated Press
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — All of a sudden, the 76ers are a handful on the road.
Three days after ending a long losing streak away from home, Philadelphia showed another glimpse of its potential.
Playing without center Joel Embiid (rest), the Sixers used balanced scoring to beat the Detroit Pistons 97-79 on Sunday night for their second consecutive road victory after going nearly a year without one.
Robert Covington had 16 points and Ersan Ilyasova scored 15 to lead five players in double figures for Philadelphia, which raced to a 25-point advantage in the first half.
The 76ers had matched a franchise record by losing 23 straight road games before beating New Orleans last Thursday. That was their first win away from home since Jan. 20 last season at Orlando.
"We're a young team and we have so many offensive and defensive weapons," said Covington, who also had seven rebounds and two steals. "Once we lock in and do what we're supposed to do, this team can become really scary."
Jahlil Okafor had 14 points and nine rebounds, and T.J. McConnell added 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Sixers, who snapped a four-game losing streak against the Pistons.
"All over the place, people contributed," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "It was a Philly-hard effort."
Marcus Morris scored 28 points and Andre Drummond finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds for Detroit, which fell behind 32-12 in the first quarter and never led.
"They were playing way too fast for us," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We weren't the least bit ready to play."
The 76ers shot 72 percent in the opening quarter, including 57 percent from 3-point range, to open a commanding lead. Philadelphia continued to dominate, taking a 58-35 edge into halftime.
"That was by far one of our best starts," Covington said. "We were assisting on the offensive end and executing on the defensive end."
The Pistons fought back in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 80-64 heading into the final period.
Detroit used an 8-0 run, capped by Morris' 3-pointer, to get to 87-79 with 4:23 left. Philadelphia, however, scored the final 10 points to seal it.
"Hats off to them," said Pistons guard Reggie Jackson, who scored 10 points on 5-of-17 shooting. "They ran circles around us and kicked our butts."
TIP-INS
76ers: Embiid and Jerryd Bayless (left wrist) did not travel with the team. Philadelphia rookie Ben Simmons (right foot) remains out.
Pistons: Starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (bruised right knee) was a late scratch and did not play. ... Stanley Johnson returned to the Pistons after playing Saturday with the team's D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids and finishing that game with 26 points, five rebounds and four assists. Johnson had six points and four assists against the 76ers. ... The Pistons have not allowed an opponent to score more than 100 points in 12 games at the Palace.
EMPTY SEATS
The announced attendance was 7,244, and it was a sparse crowd. Aside from the Pistons facing the Eastern Conference's worst team in Philadelphia, there was a major snowstorm moving through Michigan and the driving conditions were poor.
HOMETOWN CONNECTIONS
Morris was born in Philadelphia and played high school basketball at Prep Charter. ... Sixers G Nik Stauskas played college ball at Michigan from 2012-14. He had 10 points and four assists Sunday.
UP NEXT
76ers: At home vs. Toronto on Wednesday.
Pistons: At Dallas on Wednesday.
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