DETROIT — The atmosphere at Little Caesars Arena grew more tense by the minute during the fourth quarter Saturday. Detroit Pistons fans couldn’t seem to fathom what was unfolding in front of them.
They watched their team concede a 23-point lead with 9:04 remaining in the third quarter to a Brooklyn Nets team on a 10-game losing streak. The Nets entered the evening with just 15 wins but still managed to eke out a 107-105 victory over the Pistons. Although Cade Cunningham (left quad contusion) and Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) were both sidelined with injuries, the loss, to many, was inexcusable.
Brooklyn outscored Detroit 61-43 in the second half to hand the Pistons their first three-game losing streak of the season. The Nets managed 32 bench points, 28 points in the paint, 17 second-chance points and 14 points off turnovers after halftime alone.
Detroit simply can’t afford to lose to a Brooklyn team that’s heading for the lottery if it expects to be a serious postseason contender. Especially when 13 of the Pistons’ final 20 games of the regular season are against teams currently at or above .500.
So, what exactly was the turning point in Saturday’s loss?
“Our level of respect for the game,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said when asked what changed for his team down the stretch. “(During) the second half, we built a 20-point lead, and then we stopped respecting the game. You disrespect the game, and it’s going to bite you in the ass. That’s what happened to us.”
As for his postgame message to his group once the buzzer sounded?
“No matter what the night is, you’ve got to continue to do the things that make us successful,” Bickerstaff said. “We have to play to our identity every single night. To give up 27 and 34 points in the third and fourth quarters, that’s not playing to our identity. We have to realize the reason we’re sitting in the position that we’re sitting in is because of the style we’re willing to play. That’s not something you turn on and turn off.
“That’s something you have to do consistently. So, there’s a lesson to be learned here, and it’s important we learn it.”
The Pistons haven’t looked like themselves post-All-Star break.
Before the break, their identity had largely hinged on their suffocating defense. But in Detroit’s nine games since the break, its 110.7 defensive rating ranks 11th in the NBA. It doesn’t help that Bickerstaff said pregame that the return of Thompson, the Pistons’ most versatile defender, “is going to be a minute.”
Isaiah Stewart is integral to Detroit’s defense, as well. He, like Bickerstaff, was disappointed with his team’s effort Saturday.
“Everyone in this locker room felt this was a must-win game,” Stewart said. “All of us, as men, have to look ourselves in the mirror. … We know we didn’t play up to our standards for 48 (minutes) tonight.”
Brooklyn Nets guard Ochai Agbaji drives, as Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart (28) defends in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski / Imagn Images)
The bulk of the Nets’ points in the second half came with little to no resistance, while Detroit’s offensive production grinded to a halt. Tobias Harris scored a team-high 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting with 10 rebounds. Jalen Duren added 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting and grabbed a game-high 14 boards. Duren was challenged by Brooklyn’s length and had his shot blocked on multiple occasions.
Outside of Harris, no Pistons player could consistently create his own shot.
Saturday’s loss further highlighted just how valuable Cunningham is to Detroit’s success, as well as the responsibility he has as the team’s offensive engine. The Pistons have an offensive rating of 118.8 with Cunningham on the floor and an offensive rating of 107.7 with him off it. That 11.1 difference is the highest of any Detroit player who has logged at least 100 minutes this season.
Taking things a step further, the Pistons have a net rating of 10.3 with Cunningham on the floor and 2.8 without him. That 7.5 difference also is the highest of any Pistons player with at least 100 minutes under his belt. Detroit requires far more movement to generate quality looks with Cunningham sidelined.
“We’re not a team that should play a ton of isolation basketball,” Bickerstaff said. “We have guys who are capable, but our strength is when we move people around. When we’re moving them around, getting to the paint and spraying, we’re creating open looks for one another. I thought we just got stagnant.
“You build a 20-point lead, and you continue to do what you’ve done. You don’t change the way you play because you have the lead.”
Thankfully for the Pistons, they’ll have an opportunity to redeem themselves Sunday on the road against the Miami Heat. They’ll have to learn from this loss in a hurry, flush it and prepare for a Heat team far more competitive this season than Brooklyn has been.
This will be the first of five back-to-back games for Detroit in an 18-game month. The schedule is unforgiving, but the Pistons have to find a way to work themselves out of this rut. They still have a 3 1/2-game lead over the Boston Celtics atop the Eastern Conference standings, but adjustments must be made swiftly to avoid any further collapses.
