Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey, Paul Reed all score 25 or more; Sixers cruise past Detroit

The Sixers wrapped up their 2021-22 regular season with a 118-106 win against the Detroit Pistons Sunday night. By game’s end, fans serenaded the team with chants of Bball Paul. Paul Reed had a career-high 25 points, along with six rebounds, four steals and a block. Shake Milton had a season-high 30 points, and Tyrese Maxey gave the Sixers 25, despite not playing the fourth quarter. Here are some takeaways from the regular-season finale.

First Half

• It feels like beating a dead horse pointing out that DeAndre Jordan has been a horrendous backup center for the Sixers. But it’s going to be a problem if he is in the playoff rotation. At no point during his time with the Sixers has he looked like someone who can still hang with NBA players, let alone be a reliable rim protector or rebounder.
• Paul Reed playing so well in the minutes he’s seen this week has made the situation look all the more silly. His energy and scrappiness makes him a nuisance for offenses, and his rebounding sticks out on a team that has struggled pulling down boards all season. He does pick up a lot of fouls, but this is a position you only need 8-10 minutes from in the playoffs.
• Five points in five seconds for Shake Milton, that was fun!

• Milton made his first seven shots from the field and had 18 of his season-high 30 points in the first half. The Sixers getting production from Shake in a playoff series could matter a lot more, as it appears they have to go to Toronto without Matisse Thybulle.

Second Half

• Tyrese Maxey put on one last show for the regular season. After a solid first half, he exploded for 14 third-quarter points. A fitting capper on what has been an incredible season for the second-year guard.

• The Sixers literally lived and died this game with their centers. They would go on runs with Reed in the game, while the Pistons came back when Jordan was in the game. Single game plus/minus is often misleading, especially when looking at individual players. However, Reed was a plus-0. Jordan was a minus-14. Reed was all over the place in the fourth quarter, despite playing with five fouls. Whether Reed backs up Embiid when the playoffs start will be the talk of the town. Now, it’s time for the real games.