March Sadness: Sixers Fall To Pistons 125-111

Tonight, the Philadelphia 76ers were foiled in their bid to win back-to-back games for the first time all season, falling to the Detroit Pistons 125-111 at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Sixers were crushed on the glass (52-36) and outworked in the paint (64-40), but the biggest issue on the evening was their defense (or lack thereof). After a first half during which the 76ers led by 10 points on multiple occasions, the Pistons wound up shooting 66 percent after intermission and outscored the good guys 73-54 over the final two quarters.

Reggie Jackson led all scorers with 24 points (and 10 dimes for good measure) as all five of Detroit's starters finished the game with 19 points or more. With the Sixers forced to use Hollis Thompson at the 4 spot in certain situations, Andre Drummond (19 points, 15 rebounds) had free rein around the basket virtually all night.

If you didn't watch the game, you didn't miss much: We've already seen this type of game dozens of times this year. A scrappy Sixers team makes enough good/smart plays to keep the game close for the first 2/3 quarters, then falls apart at the end when the more talented squad decides to put its foot on the gas. Wash, rinse, repeat.

#Sixers Brown: 'I don't think (it was) running out of gas. I see a (#Pistons) team clawing 2 get into the playoffs going 2 another gear.'

— Tom Moore (@tmoore76ers) March 13, 2016

As far as positives go, Isaiah Canaan was so good offensively (5-for-8 from the field, 4-for-5 from deep, 8-for-9 from the free throw line) that it almost excuses the fact that he was a game-worst -21. And in his first run in more than two weeks, Kendall Marshall chipped in seven points and three assists in 14 minutes.

On the big man front, starting power forward Carl Landry scored 18 points and collected six rebounds in 25 solid minutes of action. Surprisingly enough, Elton Brand was the Sixers' best player in the first quarter, and the "old school Chevy" finished the game with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Sonny Weems got his first run as a member of the 76ers in the second quarter, promptly put up five shots in eight minutes (two points, four rebounds), and was never seen again. More disturbingly, he was wearing JaKarr Sampson's No. 9 jersey because nothing is sacred anymore in this world.

The Sixers (9-57) are off until Tuesday when they take the Acela up to New York to face the Brooklyn Nets. A few bus loads of Processors will be in the Barclays Center as well as Brett Brown and Co. attempt to take down the Nets for the third time this season.