Pistons' JB Bickerstaff shares true feelings about loss to Hornets
11/07/2024 02:02 AM
In another close back-and-forth matchup, the Detroit Pistons came up short against the Charlotte Hornets. After building momentum from two consecutive victories, the Pistons lost their chance at three straight courtesy of a putback layup by Hornets forward Brandon Miller as the time expired.
Detroit head coach JB Bickerstaff clarified what the 108-107 loss means for his young team.
“I mean, it stings obviously. To play the way we played, make the plays that we made down the stretch to get ourselves back in the game and then gain the lead, the contribution from everybody, Ron (Holland II) making a huge play down the stretch,” Bickerstaff explained. “It’s a tough one to swallow.”
The Pistons’ record dropped to 3-6 after the competitive road showdown against the Hornets. There were 17 ties and 18 lead changes between both teams. Detroit had an opportunity to seal a victory when Holland scooped a loose ball and turned it into a layup with six seconds left. Charlotte responded after Miller cleaned up a missed three by forward Grant Williams with a point-blank layup.
Point guard Cade Cunningham recorded another triple-double in two consecutive games by scoring 20 points, dishing ten assists, and grabbing 10 rebounds. Shooting guard Jaden Ivey led the Pistons in scoring with 21 points on 8-16 shooting from the field. Ivey’s three-point shooting continues to impress by hitting of 3-5 against the Hornets.
Forward Miles Bridges was the leading scorer for Charlotte with 27 points. Point guard Lamelo Ball stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Ball was clutch for the Hornets by putting up 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. Miller finished with 19 for Charlotte including their game-winning basket.
Pistons lose Jalen Duren to injury
Detroit battled against Charlotte for the majority of the game without starting center Jalen Duren. Seven minutes into the contest, the 20-year-old big twisted his ankle. In the first quarter, Duren skied for a rebound and landed awkwardly, resulting in the injury. Duren has dealt with a multitude of ankle injuries throughout his young career.
The Pistons were forced to lean on their bench depth to fill in for Duren’s absence. Backup Isaiah Stewart was impactful with six points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 25 minutes. However, Detroit got a huge lift from reserve Paul Reed in a season-high 12 minutes of action. Reed was perfect in his scoring effort adding 13 points on 6-6 shooting.
Detroit hasn’t had to lean on Reed much this season as they have relied mostly on Duren and Stewart at center. When discussing him in the postgame media session, Bickerstaff was very proud of Reed’s impact.
“I thought he did a great job. He was a huge part of what we did in the second half,” Bickerstaff stated. “His energy was great with how he defensive rebounded the basketball for us, what he did in pick-and-roll coverages, all those things. He created some energy for us. I thought he was really good.”
The Pistons have not disclosed a timeline for Duren’s return. He was ruled out for the rest of the game at halftime. Detroit should have an update before returning home against the Atlanta Hawks this Friday.
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