The Sixers couldn’t stop the NBA’s hottest team from rolling to its ninth consecutive win Friday night.

They fell to the highly shorthanded Pistons, dropping a 114-105 game at Little Caesars Arena in NBA Cup play. 

Detroit improved to 11-2 and the Sixers fell to 7-5.

In NBA Cup East Group B, the Pistons are 2-0 and the Sixers 0-2. The Sixers’ next Cup game is set for Nov. 25 vs. the Magic. 

Tyrese Maxey had 31 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals.

Detroit’s top scorer was Javonte Green with 21 points. Daniss Jenkins posted 19 points and eight assists.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right knee soreness) and Paul George (left knee surgery recovery). Jared McCain is on G League assignment.

Kelly Oubre Jr. was ruled out in the third quarter because of a left knee hyperextension.

Detroit was down six players, including Cade Cunningham (left hip contusion), Jalen Duren (right ankle sprain) and Tobias Harris (right ankle sprain). 

The Sixers will return to Philadelphia and play the Clippers on Monday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Pistons:  

Edgecombe refreshed, knocking down shots 

Paul Reed made a layup to kick off the scoring against former Sixers teammate Andre Drummond. A few minutes later, Reed beat Drummond for a long offensive rebound and eventually slammed in an emphatic dunk. Reed (10 points, eight rebounds) and Drummond (12 points, 11 boards) exchanged some trash talk throughout the night.

Maxey was forceful as a scorer in the first quarter, even posting up on a couple of occasions. He recorded 10 of the Sixers’ first 19 points. 

VJ Edgecombe drained long-range jumpers on his first two shots and clearly benefited from getting a little rest before the Sixers’ trip to Detroit.

During a physically taxing stretch of the schedule the past five games, Edgecombe’s scoring high was 12 points. The rookie had 13 in the first half and made at least three three-pointers for the first time in November. 

Barlow back and on the boards 

Dominick Barlow returned after missing the Sixers’ last nine games because of a right elbow laceration. He checked in to begin the second quarter with a sleeve on his right arm. 

Barlow sunk a corner three on his first attempt. After a Sixers stop, Justin Edwards did the same to put the team up 38-31. Fresh off of a 22-point performance in the Sixers’ win over the Celtics, Edwards had 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting. 

Though Barlow made a mistake on the perimeter when Ron Holland II picked off his pass, he recovered in impressive fashion. Barlow hustled after Holland and soared for a chase-down block. The initial foul call was overturned following a challenge by Sixers head coach Nick Nurse. 

As a rebounder, Barlow picked up right where he left off. He snagged six boards (three offensive, three defensive) in his first stint.

Conditioning did not appear to be an issue for Barlow The fourth-year forward played 29 minutes on the night and tallied 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks. High-effort, productive work after weeks on the sidelines. 

Sixers waste new lineup’s hot start to 2nd half

Maxey and the Sixers hit a cold patch in the second quarter and the Pistons went on an extended run.

Reed blocked Maxey’s lefty layup try on the Sixers’ final possession of the first half. Maxey had just two points in the second quarter and Detroit held a 63-54 halftime lead. 

Nurse on Tuesday had mentioned the idea of switching up lineups to start the second half as one potential way to address the Sixers’ third-quarter woes. He turned to that option against the Pistons, inserting Barlow for Trendon Watford and Quentin Grimes for Oubre. Maxey, Edgecombe and Drummond were the three Sixers who started both halves.

Oubre appeared to pick up his left knee injury late in the second quarter. He asked out of the game and never returned. This story will be updated with any further information on his status.

The Sixers’ new second-half lineup provided the desired results right away. 

The team’s defensive pressure elevated and offense suddenly started to look much easier. The Pistons didn’t score until the 7:38 mark of the third quarter and the Sixers stormed back with a 14-0 run. Grimes and Barlow each chipped in threes. Drummond knocked down two triples in the third quarter.

Nurse didn’t make any substitutions until almost seven minutes into the third. That sub was Edwards, who drilled a top-of-the-key three that gave the Sixers an 83-71 lead. 

Their double-digit advantage did not last for long. Jenkins banked in a half-court shot at the third-quarter buzzer and Wendell Moore Jr.’s driving layup to begin the fourth tied the game. Nurse called timeout after a Reed lay-in that lifted the Pistons to a 94-92 edge.

Maxey’s tough shotmaking kept the Sixers in it. However, Detroit often had answers late in the fourth, including a tightly contested Caris LeVert three with the shot clock winding down.

Once the weekend’s over, the Sixers will aim to put together a more complete game and bounce back at home.