• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Pistons take losing ways to south Philly

Jan 10, 2014 - 3:52 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Detroit Pistons will try to end a six-game losing streak Friday night when they visit the Wells Fargo Center to take on the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Pistons haven't won since Dec. 23 in Cleveland. Detroit lost the two prior to that so the Pistons are just 1-8 over the last nine and that includes a four-game road losing streak.

"It's hard but the main thing is we are consistently losing the same way," said Detroit forward Josh Smith. "We are showing up for half of a game and we have to be able to try to figure out what we need to do in order to start off better in the second half. We have got to be willing to play hard for 48 minutes."

That formula was in play on Wednesday when the Pistons fell to the Toronto Raptors, 112-91. Detroit owned a 54-50 lead at the break, but lost the third quarter, 34-20, and the final 12 minutes, 28-17.

Brandon Jennings scored 22 points on 6-of-19 shooting for the Pistons. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Smith posted 13 points apiece in the loss, while Greg Monroe netted 11 to go along with 11 rebounds. Rodney Stuckey chipped in 14 off the bench.

The Pistons play four of their next six at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The 76ers have dropped two straight since a four-game winning streak, which all came on the road. Philly has lost one at home, a 31-point blowout to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, and one on the road, an 18-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

Sixers coach Brett Brown said his players must have been more fatigued from their five-game road trip than he realized. He gave C.J. Miles, who made 10 3- pointers, credit, but also found fault with the way his team defended the hot hand.

"As a young team when somebody like that is rolling you have to be aware of where he is every second," Brown said. "We just didn't get the job done on him defensively."

Thaddeus Young, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 25 points per game last week, was 0-for-7 and went scoreless for the Sixers.

Rookie Michael Carter-Williams had a career-high 33 points in the loss. James Anderson finished with 15 points, followed by 12 from Elliot Williams and 11 out of Brandon Davies. The final three double-figure scorers came off the bench as the other four starters, besides Carter-Williams, combined for 17 points.

The Sixers play three straight at home after Friday's tilt.

The Pistons beat the Sixers by 15 in Detroit on Dec. 1 and have taken four of the last five meetings between the two sides. Philly has won three of four against Detroit in the City of Brotherly Love.