The 76ers were on pace for their most impressive win of the season on Wednesday night. They led Detroit by as many as 17 points in the second quarter as Jaylen Brown fired on all cylinders; he notched 23 points in the first 24 minutes. But the Pistons did what they do best: rally. It took four Tyrese Maxey free throws in the last 20 seconds of the game to handle Detroit.

But a win is a win, especially against the Pistons, who won six of their first seven games.

Philadelphia (8-1) escaped Little Caesars Arena with a 112-106 victory against Detroit (6-2), winning its fifth straight game. The Pistons served the 76ers their only loss of the season and Philadelphia has gotten even. Now, the 76ers have the best record in the NBA as they continue to search for consistency through all 48 minutes.

Here are three stats that tell the story of Philadelphia’s eighth win:

30 points

There will be games when Brown doesn’t get much individual opportunity. But there will also be nights like Wednesday. Brown gashed Detroit for a game-high 30 points on 67.9% true shooting. He scored on all three levels, operating with and without the ball.

Brown was at his best when Philadelphia pushed tempo. His first points came during a fastbreak, using a spin move to posterize Paul Reed. Brown feasted on unset defenses all evening, so him scoring just seven points in the second half—when the pace slowed—wasn’t a coincidence. But Brown still made an impact, blocking Cade Cunningham’s three-pointer with less than 40 seconds left in regulation.

Playing a season-low 33 minutes in the 76ers’ 126-107 win over Chicago on Monday and having Tuesday off seemed to help; Brown is navigating patellar tendinopathy in his left knee.

11 of- 19

Maxey had his 26th birthday on Wednesday, but the Pistons didn’t care—especially Ausar Thompson. Detroit made it difficult for the two-time All-Star to score off the dribble as he shot 5-of-16 from the field; Maxey registered two first-half points. 

But as star players do, Maxey dialed in when it mattered. He had 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, when the Pistons threatened to take command. This won’t be remembered as one of Maxey’s best games, but Wednesday’s result might have a long-term effect. The 76ers are 1-1 against the Pistons this year and will play them one more time—a potential seeding factor.

15 rebounds

Brown was the headline from Philadelphia’s revenge against Detroit, but Joel Embiid’s 26 points and 15 rebounds shouldn’t be ignored. It wasn’t his best offensive performance, shooting 8-for-18 from the field. Yet he swung the game in another way: off the glass.

Embiid’s 15 boards were a season high and helped the 76ers out-rebound the Pistons 48-41. Philadelphia having so many scoring threats has allowed Embiid to focus more on rebounding and rim protection. As a result, he’s averaging 10 rebounds per game—the most since the 2023-24 campaign.

The Pistons are as resilient as they come, so Philadelphia should feel good about this win regardless of it being outscored by 10 in the fourth quarter. The 76ers can extend their winning streak to six, doing battle with the Cavaliers (4-4) on Friday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET.