The Detroit Pistons escaped Washington with a thrilling 144-140 double-overtime victory Thursday night, thanks to a historic 52-point performance from Cade Cunningham. But head coach J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t exactly in a celebrating mood afterward.
Despite watching Cunningham become the first player in NBA history to record at least 50 points and 10 assists without a turnover since the league began tracking turnovers in 1977-78, Bickerstaff had some harsh words for his team’s defensive performance.
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And he certainly didn’t sugarcoat anything.
Speaking to reporters following the win, Bickerstaff was asked to evaluate Detroit’s defensive effort against the Wizards. His response was about as blunt as it gets.
“It was bad. It was terrible. We were not to our standard defensively. Everything was bad.”
The frustration was understandable, considering the Pistons entered Thursday’s game allowing just 104.6 points per contest. Washington proceeded to score 140, shooting 49% from the field and piling up 62 points in the paint.
Bickerstaff was particularly bothered by the mistakes Detroit made during critical defensive possessions. He explained that while he respected his players for battling through two overtimes, their lack of execution helped create the difficult situation in the first place.
But the coach also emphasized that Detroit’s mistakes were unacceptable, especially during possessions when the team desperately needed a defensive stop. He pointed to insufficient attention to detail and a failure to trust one another defensively as contributing factors.
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Without Cunningham’s spectacular performance, Thursday’s game could have ended very differently for Detroit. The Pistons superstar finished with 52 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, and zero turnovers while shooting 16-of-25 from the field.
Washington twice forced the game to continue with dramatic late baskets, including a Trae Young three-pointer that sent the contest into overtime. Cunningham ultimately delivered the offense Detroit needed to survive and improve to 8-3.
Bickerstaff has previously praised Cunningham’s team-first mentality, and Thursday’s performance provided another example of the guard’s remarkable ability to control a game. Cunningham’s 11 assists without a turnover were every bit as impressive as his career-high scoring total.
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But Bickerstaff’s reaction also speaks to the standard he expects from a Pistons team looking to establish itself among the Eastern Conference’s best. Detroit’s defensive identity has remained a major emphasis throughout the season, and one historic offensive night doesn’t erase the problems at the other end.
There is something telling about a head coach criticizing his team’s defense immediately after a 144-point victory. Bickerstaff clearly understands that relying on Cunningham to deliver an all-time performance isn’t a sustainable formula for winning basketball.
The Pistons are off to an impressive start, and Cunningham is playing at a superstar level. But if Detroit has serious postseason aspirations, Bickerstaff knows his team must be considerably better defensively than it was Thursday night.
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The Pistons will look to clean things up when they face the Miami Heat on Saturday night. For Bickerstaff, the message following Thursday’s win was clear: winning the game doesn’t mean Detroit played to its standard.
