The early minutes of Wednesday night’s matchup between the 7-1 Philadelphia 76ers and the 6-1 Detroit Pistons had the kind of collision you’d expect from two of the East’s best teams. Both sides came in with strong records, and Philadelphia’s only loss so far had already come against Detroit.
Before the game settled into its usual grind, Joel Embiid and Cade Cunningham ended up matched against each other, with Embiid taking the mismatch. The 76ers star caught the ball beyond the arc, showed a pump fake, and Cunningham didn’t bite. But Embiid’s fake came with a raised leg that caught Cunningham in the groin, leaving the Pistons guard visibly hurt as Embiid slipped into a backdoor cut for an easy two points.
Given Embiid’s 7-foot-0, 270-pound frame, it had to be a rough shot to absorb. Even so, Cunningham stayed in the game and did not appear to carry any lingering effects from the accidental contact.
By halftime, Cunningham was still on the floor for Detroit, with nine points, five rebounds, and four assists in 20 minutes. The Pistons, though, were already staring at a double-digit hole, trailing Philadelphia 56-42.
Joel Embiid accidentally kicks Cade Cunningham below the belt 😬
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 5, 2026
pic.twitter.com/CW0pSUknX8
That makes Cunningham’s status especially important for Detroit, which is already without Jalen Duren because of a hamstring injury. With Duren on the shelf, Paul Reed and Tolu Smith III are the ones tasked with trying to slow Embiid as the Pistons look to chip away at the deficit in the second half.
In Other News...
Pistons Keep Getting Validation For Letting Isaiah Stewart Go
Isaiah Stewarts move out of Detroit has only added another layer to one of the more quietly important decisions the Pistons made. Since landing in Memphis, Stewart has been putting up career-best production and turning in some eye-catching performances, a reminder of the talent Detroit was willing to part with when it reshaped its frontcourt. Even so, the early returns in Detroit suggest the Pistons did not just give up a useful piece for nothing.
Paul Reed has settled into a bigger role and has actually looked like the better fit for what the Pistons need right now, especially on a team that has started the season with a strong defensive identity. The trade also gave Detroit some financial flexibility, and so far it has not come at the expense of the energy or toughness that has defined the group. For a franchise trying to build with purpose, that kind of validation matters just as much as Stewarts success elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Already Face A Big Julius Randle Decision
Julius Randles arrival in Brooklyn came with the kind of buzz that usually follows a major multi-team deal, especially one that also pulled in the Bulls and Timberwolves. For a stretch, it looked like the Nets had landed a veteran frontcourt piece who could help shape their next phase, but the early conversation around the move has shifted quickly as the team weighs where it is headed and how much flexibility it wants to preserve.
The complication is Randles player option, which gives Brooklyn an immediate financial and roster-building question to sort through. Around the league, that has already opened the door to trade speculation, with the Pistons and Hornets among the teams floated as possible fits in different scenarios, though nothing has been finalized. For Detroit, it is the kind of name that naturally enters the conversation whenever a talented veteran becomes available, even if the path from rumor to reality is still very much unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Just Got A Reminder To Stay Patient On Wing Upgrades
The Pistons got a fresh reminder this week that wing upgrades are not always as clean as they look from the outside. Peyton Watson landed with Cleveland in a deal that cost the Cavaliers Max Strus and a first-round pick, and Detroit passed on getting involved, a decision that now looks a little easier to understand given Watsons uneven start and current injury situation.
For a team still sorting out its long-term wing mix, the comparison to Ron Holland matters. Holland has given Detroit a steadier early return and, just as importantly, comes with a far more manageable price tag. In a market where upside can get expensive in a hurry, the Pistons may have been wise to hold their ground and wait for a better fit rather than chase a name that carried more risk than reward. [Read more 🡒]