Sixers send Pistons to 11th straight loss
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Auburn Hills, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Robert Covington scored 25 points off the bench to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 108-101 overtime win on Saturday.
Michael Carter-Williams had 20 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds and Luc Mbah a Moute added 14 points with 11 rebounds for the Sixers, who have won two of their last three since opening the season 0-17.
Meanwhile, Detroit has taken the dubious distinction of basketball's longest losing streak as it dropped an 11th straight game. The Pistons have not won since a Nov. 14 decision over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Josh Smith totaled 23 points with eight rebounds and Kyle Singler added 21 in the setback.
"Losing in general is not good," said Pistons center Andre Drummond. "Philly is a great team, despite their record. They're still an NBA team. The loss still hurts."
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a free throw to break the deadlock 2:23 into the extra session. Henry Sims then gave the Sixers a 102-101 lead with a jumper 40 seconds later.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was an offensive struggle throughout the overtime period, as Nerlens Noel hit a floater in the lane to extend the lead to 104-101 with 29.9 seconds left.
Caldwell-Pope missed a pair of 3s on the Pistons' next possession, and Carter- Williams knocked down a pair of free throws to seal the win.
"For our young guys to learn how to close out a legitimate close NBA game on the road was a fantastic experience for them," Sixers head coach Brett Brown said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Detroit brought an 82-77 lead into the fourth quarter. The Pistons opened it up a bit as Smith followed a Covington 3-pointer with two straight baskets to increase the margin to 89-80.
Philadelphia countered, though, as it ripped off seven straight with Mbah a Moute's free throws cutting the deficit to 89-87 with 8:42 left in regulation.
Caron Butler fired in a 3-pointer at the other end before Cartier Martin netted a layup to restore a seven-point cushion.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Detroit went scoreless over the next 5:07 as Carter-Williams gave the Sixers the lead with a layup. Singler followed with a three-point play and Smith's hook shot made it 99-95 with 59.7 seconds left.
Philadelphia found itself down 100-97 with 15.6 seconds left when Hollis Thompson canned a corner 3 to tie the game. Carter-Williams played solid defense on Brandon Jennings on the final possession and the game headed to overtime.
Earlier, Covington's 3 tied the game late in the first quarter, then Carter- Williams knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Sixers a 30-28 lead after 12 minutes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Sixers led by three with 4 1/2 minutes to play in the second when Mbah a Moute's free throw started a 9-2 run that gave the visitors a 50-40 lead.
The Pistons followed with an 11-4 run as Smith and D.J. Augustin each scored four points to close the gap to 54-51 at the break.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Philadelphia snapped a four-game losing streak in Detroit ... The Pistons have not won at home since Nov. 7, a span of eight games ... Detroit's Greg Monroe had 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench ... K.J. McDaniels had a game-high four blocks in the win ... Each team scored 50 points in the paint ... There were 16 lead changes and 11 ties.