After picking up a win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers flew to Detroit for the dreaded home/road back-to-back. Despite playing the night before and being down a handful of players, the Sixers managed to keep their win streak alive. They took down Cade Cunningham and the Pistons by a final score of 109-98. Here are some observations from the win. 

Three Sixers Observations vs. Pistons

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1) Seth Curry continues his incredible start 

What more can really be said about Seth Curry at this point? He continues to take his game to new heights to start this season. The sharpshooting guard yet again led the Sixers in scoring Thursday, racking up 23 points. 

How efficiently he has shot the ball is what stands out most from Curry's run to start the season. Curry knocked down nine of his 14 shot attempts in the win over Detroit, including going 4/8 from beyond the arc. 

With so many players being out, scoring has had to come from somewhere. Curry continues to be a reliable option on offense while shooting the lights out on a nightly basis. Of all the surprises we've seen this season, his meteoric leap sits near the top. 

2) Supporting cast steps up 

Playing without your star players is a challenge for any team, but the Sixers have made it look relatively easy in their recent stretch. This impressive run would not have been possible if not for the stellar play of the supporting cast. 

The Sixers have established a balanced offensive attack, letting scoring come from everywhere. Thursday's contest marked the third-straight game they have had at least five players in double-figures. Some of the notable standouts include Tyrese Maxey (20 points), Shake Milton (16 points), and Georges Niang (14 points). 

When multiple players can get it going offensively on a nightly basis, the team becomes incredibly tough to defend. Through their first nine games, the Sixers have shown they are a much deeper team compared to previous seasons. 

3) No games off 

To put it simply, the Sixers have taken no days off. Every night they are out there giving their all on both ends no matter who their opponent is. Thursday's win was a testament to the competitiveness the team has played with to start the year. 

Given all the circumstances, the Sixers had every reason to mail this game in. They were down a plethora of players, played and traveled the night before, and were playing one of the weaker teams in the leagues. These factors did not affect them, and they took the court ready to add to their winning streak. 

Playing down to their opponents has been a bad habit of the Sixers in the past, but has not been the case in 2021. They went into Detroit Thursday ready to face an NBA team and took it to them for the full 48 minutes. 

Whether it's because of the off-the-court circumstances or not, the Sixers have played like a team with something to prove. They feel they are still a threat to compete in the Eastern Conference and prove it in every game. It is clear this group has fun playing alongside one another and has translated to multiple early wins.