Doc Rivers' Sixers just dropped a game to one of the worst teams in the league. Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

76ers drop third straight game with surprising loss to Pistons

By Adam Stites | Last updated 3/31/22

The Philadelphia 76ers are trending in the wrong direction at the wrong time with three straight losses to end March. None of those defeats was worse than a 102-94 loss to the floundering Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, led the way for Pistons with 27 points, six assists, four steals and two rebounds in the win. The performance rounded out a month for Cunningham that was one of the best in recent NBA history.

Cade Cunningham in the 1st half: 14 pts, 7-of-10 FG

A good half for over 20.5 pts bettors pic.twitter.com/zoAYQH3UnR
— NBABet (@nbabet) April 1, 2022

Detroit trailed 79-73 heading into the fourth quarter, but went on a 23-4 run in the final stanza to turn the tides and take over. According to ESPN Stats and Info, it's the 14th straight time the Pistons pushed or covered the spread as an underdog against a current playoff team. (The 76ers were 9.5-point favorites.)

The 76ers' MVP candidate center Joel Embiid finished with 37 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. James Harden finished with 18 points, seven assists and nine rebounds.

Philadelphia fell to 46-30 and is now fourth in the Eastern Conference after sliding behind the Boston Celtics. The Pistons climbed to 21-56, but are already eliminated from postseason contention.

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