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Five observations, 'best' and 'worst' awards from Sixers' victory over Detroit Pistons

The Pistons' shot selection was the worst of the worst.

Joel Embiid (21) shoots as Pistons center Andre Drummond reaches in during the second half Monday night.
Joel Embiid (21) shoots as Pistons center Andre Drummond reaches in during the second half Monday night.Read moreCarlos Osorio / AP

DETROIT — Here are my key takeaways and best and worst awards from the 76ers' 97-86 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena.

Key takeaways

  1. No matter what Joel Embiid says, opponents better stop talking trash to the Sixers center. Detroit's Andre Drummond did that and Embiid made the big man and the Pistons regret it by compiling 30 points and nine rebounds.

  2. The Sixers still lose a lot when Embiid's off the floor. They dominated when he was in the game and resembled the squad that lost by 128-94 to Toronto on Saturday when he wasn't.

  3. Ben Simmons is pretty special even for a guy who can't shoot, or guard lightning-quick and attacking point guards. As Monday's triple-double shows, the 6-foot-10 point guard is hard to stop at the rim, cleans up on the defensive glass, and is an assist waiting to happen.

  4. The Sixers must have completely given up on Jahlil Okafor. In a game in which his offensive post moves were desperately needed, the reserve center received a "Did Not Play – Coach's Decision."

  5. The Sixers can't shake their turnover woes. They had a season-worst 21 on Monday after combining for 53 in their first three games.

Best and Worst awards

Best performance: I went back and forth on this one. But I ultimately gave it to Embiid over Simmons. Yes, it's true that Simmons finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. But the team still took a major hit when Embiid wasn't on the floor. That's why the Sixers center gets the award on a night when he had seven turnovers. They were overshadowed by his 30 points on 11-for-15 shooting, nine rebounds and two steals.

Worst performanceStanley Johnson looked lost during his 17 minutes, 32 seconds of action. The Pistons swingman, who guarded Simmons, was noticed only because he committed four fouls. He  finished with zero points after missing his lone shot. He also failed to record a rebound, an assist, a steal or a blocked shot.

Best defensive performance: Sixers forward Robert Covington finished with a co-game-high in steals, four, and had a huge hand in Tobias Harris' making just 5 of 16 shots.

Worst statistic: This was a hard one. But I decided to give it to the Sixers' 21 turnovers over the Pistons' 20 percent three-point shooting.

Best statistic: Langston Galloway's shooting. The Pistons reserve guard and St. Joe's graduate made 3 of 4 shots – all three-pointers – to finish with nine points.

Worst of the worst: The Pistons' shot selection. They looked like a team in disarray while missing shots all over the court. On one play, Drummond badly missed a hook shot instead of muscling his way to the basket against Embiid, who was in foul trouble.