76ers climb to No. 2 in USA TODAY power rankings ahead of first-place test in Detroit

The Philadelphia 76ers are now the second-best team in the NBA, according to the Week 2 power rankings from USA TODAY Sports. Lorenzo Reyes moved Philadelphia up two spots, putting the Sixers behind only the Houston Rockets. Both teams are 7-1, and Houston got the top spot on the strength of a league-best +12.8 net rating.

The ranking, also carried by Yahoo Sports, points to the defense as the reason for the climb more than the offense. Philadelphia is allowing 105.1 points per 100 possessions, which USA TODAY lists as the third-best defensive rating in the league. The results back that up. Since losing to Detroit, the Sixers have won four straight, and they held the Knicks to 93 points and the Pacers to 109 along the way. Earlier, they opened 3-0 with wins at Madison Square Garden and at home over Cleveland and Milwaukee.

The rest of the conference's top tier took a hit. The Knicks fell five spots to No. 14 at 3-4, and Reyes raised the possibility of a championship hangover. Philadelphia beat New York twice in that stretch: 106-100 on opening night at the Garden and 98-93 at home. Cleveland, another team the Sixers have beaten, dropped to No. 12. Detroit fell one spot to No. 3 even after winning all three of its games last week. Reyes said the drop had more to do with how well Philadelphia has played and the level of competition the Pistons faced than with anything Detroit did wrong.

What it means for Wednesday in Detroit

The ranking goes straight to the court Wednesday night, when the Sixers visit Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. ESPN's preview lists the game as first place against second in the East, with Philadelphia at 7-1 and 3-0 on the road and Detroit at 6-1 and 2-0 at home. It is also a rematch of the only game the Sixers have lost this season. On Oct. 25 in Philadelphia, the Pistons won 106-93 behind 26 points from Cade Cunningham, and Tyrese Maxey scored 29 in the loss. The 93 points are still the Sixers' lowest total of the season. Since then, they have topped 105 in three of their four games, including a 126-107 win over Chicago on Sunday.

Detroit will be shorthanded. ESPN lists center Jalen Duren (hamstring) and Isaiah Joe (hip) as out, which removes a key interior presence from a team that controlled the first meeting.

The market still has the home team as the favorite. On this site's board, which tracks 12 venues, Detroit is favored at -122 on the moneyline at Novig, and Philadelphia is +117. Novig's spread is Pistons -2.5. Philadelphia +2.5 is priced at -104, and Detroit's side pays +102. The venues disagree by a full point on the spread: BetRivers has the best Pistons price anywhere at -1.5 (-113). Novig's total is 218.5, with the over at +104 and the under at -106. Pinnacle has the best over anywhere at 217.5 (-107). Sportsbook hold ranges from 2.9% to 5.1% on the sides and from 3.4% to 5.0% on the total.

A Sixers win would give them sole possession of first place in the East and a head-to-head split with Detroit. It would also be the first real road test of whether the defense USA TODAY credited can hold up against another top team.