JB Bickerstaff talks about the loss to the Cavaliers

The Detroit Pistons on Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they turned in one of their worst performances in years. Their sluggish effort ended in a rough final score of 116-95, and the Pistons fell back to a .500 record with a 2-2 mark. Head Coach JB Bickerstaff kept honest with his reflection on the execution of the losing team.

“Give them credit, they’re a good team. They’re a good defensive team. We had a tough night tonight. We turned the ball over 26 times. It’s hard to run an offense when you’re turning the ball over. But it’s one night — we’ll be better,” Bickerstaff said during the postgame media session.

The match was at a manageable point around the first quarter, where the Pistons took a 24-22 lead at one point. However, the game spiraled out of control after that lead was erased. Cleveland went on an 11-0 run to end the first period and extend that streak to a 25-2 burst. Detroit was on a brutal drought as they missed 15 straight field goals and were outscored 30-17 in the second. At one point, the Pistons had more turnovers than field goals before the end of the period.

The Cavaliers seriously stifled Detroit’s scoring defense. The Pistons were limited to a season-low 38 percent shooting from the field. Another big factor was Cleveland’s ability to get to the free throw line. They finished the night making 27 of their 35 attempts and even got to the line 25 times before the second quarter was over.

All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell was able to save the Pistons in less than 30 minutes. He led all scorers with 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field. The the loss came after Detroit beat the Boston Celtics in their home opener the night before.

The Pistons can usually rely on their offensive engine, Cade Cunningham, when their offense needs a lift. Unfortunately, Cunningham had one of the worst performances of his NBA career.

Cunningham scored just 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting in 28 minutes. He also had another rough time from beyond the arc, hitting just 1 of 7 attempts against Cleveland. Even his playmaking took a hit as he turned the ball over five times and managed just four assists for the Pistons. Bickerstaff talked about what he believed led to those struggles for his All-Star play.

“They have a ton of size and they do a great job of shrinking the floor and making you play in crowded spaces. I’ve got to help him (Cade Cunningham) better in those situations, create more space for him in those situations. But again, it’s early in the season. We’ll continue to build on that,” Bickerstaff explained.

Cunningham entered the game on the injury report (left hip contusion, right facial contusion) which could have been a factor in slowing him down. Opponents played Cunningham aggressively all season defensively with extra defenders and frequent snaps to get the ball out of his hands. Cunningham and Bickerstaff have shown some frustration with officials regarding the physical condition allowed in defense.

Cunningham led all Pistons scorers with 12 points. Forwards Ron Holland and Tolu Smith were right behind with 11 points each. Veteran Tobias Harris scored 10 points, but was limited throughout the game due to foul trouble during the matchup.