Cade Cunningham reveals why a win over the Bucks is the ‘best’ kind for the Pistons

A strong team balance helped cement it Detroit Pistons to their 124-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Detroit had seven different scorers contribute double-digit points in their winning effort as they remained in first place in the Eastern Conference at 19-5. All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham explained why he believes victories like these so valuable for the Pistons.

“These are the best (wins) where we move the ball, and everybody gets a piece of the action. Everybody just played great basketball. We had a lot of turnovers in the first half, we cut it down in the second half. That was a game changer for us,” Cunningham explained to the media.

“These are the fun ones, (when) everybody gets into it. Everybody can score the ball. We have a lot of depth, so it’s easy for guys to put the ball in the rim, it’s just about following the game plan and shooting each other.”

Detroit led by as many as 27 points over its division rival. They were able to distribute the ball effectively on offense with 31 assists on 43 field goals made. Milwaukee ran the zone defensively against Detroit and still managed to find holes to take advantage. Their ball movement contributed to their quality shooting as they shot 50 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range.

The Pistons faced the Bucks last Wednesday under similar circumstances. Milwaukee reassembled its zone defense to limit Detroit’s paint production. The Pistons found a way to correct the mistakes made from the previous game by attacking gaps in the defense and moving fluidly with and without the ball.

Cunningham led the way with another double-double, finishing with 23 points and 11 assists. He took care of the ball effectively by only turning the ball over three times.

Forward Isaiah Stewart started for injured veteran Tobias Harriswho was dealing with an ankle injury. Stewart improved the offensive for the Pistons by scoring 19 points in 25 minutes. Center Jalen Duren continued his impressive breakout game with a double-double of his own, scoring 16 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.

Jaden Ivey continues his slow progress

The Pistons continue to slowly work guard Jaden Ivey back into their rotation. He remains on the 15-minute limit and finds ways to remain productive in his role off the bench.

Ivey has been one of the leading scorers for the Pistons over the past few seasons, but he doesn’t want to try to get back into that position right away. Against the Bucks, he finished with 10 points off the bench with five rebounds. Ivey has remained patient with his offensive attack and plays more in the flow of the team. Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff shared his opinion on the adaptation of the shooting guard of the first round.

“It’s continued growth. I can’t say it enough, but what he’s doing is tough. Going 11 months without playing an NBA game and then coming back and having to play NBA speed in the middle of the season just isn’t easy. But again, he’s a guy who’s up for the challenge,” Bickerstaff explained.

“He goes out there and competes with his teammates. His teammates love having him out there. … It’s not easy for him to be limited in minutes; he’s trying to play in small doses, trying to get into a rhythm and find a rhythm. But I think he’s doing a great job of that. He made some big shots in the fourth quarter to help us get back into the fold.”