Detroit — The Pistons couldn’t afford another loss, especially after being blown out by double digits in the previous two games.
One of their nemeses, Joel Embiid, was slated to make a return with the Sixers, but Friday morning, coach Brett Brown announced that Embiid was going to sit out to get rest.
That didn’t mean an easy win for the Pistons, with the Sixers’ two other All-Stars, Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons.
The Pistons let a 15-point lead slip away in the second half and fell to the Sixers, 117-111, on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena.