The Philadelphia 76ers (16-7) looked history dead in the eyes tonight as they set out not to be the team that let the Detroit Pistons (2-22) snap their 20-game losing streak. The Sixers took care of business as Joel Embiid proved to be legitimately unstoppable in the 129-111 win.

Let’s break down the Sixers' win over the Pistons.

Sixers player notes:

Joel Embiid: 41 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 14-24 FG shooting

Embiid continued his monstrous tear against a bad team without its starting center. The Pistons just could not handle his size and skill. He lived at the foul line and scored from everywhere, flaunting his feathery jumper and brilliant brute force. He was also a beast on the offensive glass. In 19 first-half minutes, he tallied 30 points and 10 rebounds. This was the most obvious fourth quarter Embiid would never play and that indeed ended up being the case.

Obviously, this Pistons team is historically dreadful but it really is crazy how easily Embiid can rack up points. He wasn’t going crazy defensively — there were some shots he could have given a better contest on — but he still did plenty to lead the Sixers to victory. He's playing on another level right now, significantly better than even his MVP form from just last year.

Tyrese Maxey: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 2-13 FG shooting

Maxey got off to a rough start in this one, looking way out of sorts but not fading into the background. He looked as good as he could have for not being able to buy a shot. With Embiid off the court, he ran the offense each time and with him, he looked to get into their two-man game and made the swing passes that took advantage of Embiid's gravity. Ultimately, this game was one to forget about quickly.

Pistons player notes:

Cade Cunningham: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 5-17 FG shooting

The former first-overall pick flashed his playmaking skills with a handful of assists and a command of the Pistons' pace early in the game. The clunkiness of this roster can be really limiting but he stayed aggressive and earned a new career-high in free-throw attempts.

Bojan Bogdanovic: 33 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 11-19 FG shooting

Bogdanovic's trade value was a beneficiary of his performance tonight. His veteran tricks made him tough to contain on the offensive end, doing damage on and off of the ball. The Pistons let him pad his stats a little bit in the fourth quarter. They would be fools not to trade him for draft picks ahead of the deadline.

Game recap:

1st half

The Pistons gave the Sixers a decent fight early in their first matchup of the season before Philly pulled away and Embiid launched a last-second three that made Detroit allegedly want to fight him. That was the seventh game of the 20-game losing streak the Pistons are putting together. Coming into this game, the Sixers were not looking to take their opponents lightly and kept it fresh on their minds that they have talent and some of their losses have been close.

Facing a young, awful team without its starting big man (Jalen Duren) made things easier for the Sixers, though they faced Bogdanovic this time around. The veteran wing scored the first bucket of the game and deflected the ball away from Embiid, indicating the Pistons' plan was to double Embiid early and often. Detroit put Ausar Thompson on Maxey and put big man Isaiah Stewart on Embiid.

The Pistons negated their aggression on Embiid by switching everything on screens. This opened them up to mismatches often and Embiid took advantage. He also took it right at Stewart, leaving him with two fouls in less than four minutes. Embiid then stuck James Wiseman with a foul by scoring a layup on him through the foul.

Patrick Beverley and Kelly Oubre Jr. were again the Sixers' first substitutions as they continued to struggle on defense. The Pistons found opportunities for lobs and drives to the paint, making those looks count. Marcus Morris Sr. was the second forward subbed in again. Embiid put another foul on Wiseman by getting the early-shot-clock seal on the hoop, a simple yet effective way to either score or break down a defense. He finished the first quarter with 19 points and eight boards.

Robert Covington joined the Sixers' lineup to start the second quarter. Maxey still struggled to score but Oubre found himself on a heater, making his first four shots of the game. Bogdanovic, though, was on his own scoring spree, nearly single-handedly keeping it close-ish for Detroit. He made seven of his first 10 shots, swishing an array of jumpers and finishing strong layups.

When Embiid got back into the game, the Sixers switched Bogdanovic on him and let him isolate. They spammed this simple action that generated double teams, resulting in open shots on the perimeter. He took a quick, two-minute break and Detroit's offense suffered.

Embiid continued to score at will, cooking the defense as the Pistons shifted their focus to preventing open kick-outs. The Sixers led 70-56 as the big man recorded 30 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. It was his eighth straight game with those numbers, tying Wilt Chamberlain for a franchise record.

2nd half

Embiid assisted Tobias Harris to start off his half as he sealed some space away with his size. Harris also hit a fall-away three to beat the shot clock, bailing them out of a great defensive possession from Detroit. Nico Batum (a quick-trigger corner three) and De'Anthony Melton (a two-handed dunk) also scored before Embiid did to start the half. He finally got on the board on a layup that Batum assisted with a witty pass.

Maxey finally got a field goal to go with a left-handed floater that he secured by securing his own offensive rebound. All he could do was smile at his brutal misfortunes as he was subbed out (simply as a result of the Sixers' substitution pattern).

The Pistons kept pushing the pace when they could and fought for every loose ball. Thompson had some nice plays — a putback and a tough layup over Embiid. They kept pace with the Sixers through much of the third quarter. Embiid started taking matters into his own hands by bringing the ball up and initiating all his own. On one of his best moves of the night, a spin move to the paint for a dunk attempt, he lost the ball and tipped it out of bounds. So, not everything went his way – just most things.

The Sixers' defense has seen better nights — even amid their recent ineffectiveness on that end — but they kept their hands busy and came away with some big steals that fueled fast breaks and deflected passes and dribbles. Tempers flared at the end of the third quarter after Stewart blatantly shoved Beverley as he set a screen. PatBev got up clapping, because of course he did, as Beef Stew was assessed a Flagrant 2. It looked like PatBev got away with a little shot to instigate Stewart.

The fourth quarter was typical; the Sixers' second unit kept the lead up as Embiid called it a night. Don’t take for granted that he (and the team) has been so good that the final frame is optional in almost every other game so far this season.

The Sixers started their bench emptying with Jaden Springer and Danuel House Jr., who were later joined by K.J. Martin and Furkan Korkmaz. Poor Pistons fans, man.

Random rumblings:

  • Salute to Oubre for trying that dunk.
  • Marcus Sasser falling out of the Pistons' rotation is indefensible. He's a legitimately good player as a rookie and a solid fit next to pretty much every young guy they have.

The Sixers will see the Pistons again on Friday, this time in Philly.