The Pistons are discovering new resources

To compete with the Rockets’ big starting five, JB Bickerstaff responded with a double Isaiah Stewart-Jalen Duren in the racket. A combination that ended up being little seen since the 21-year-old was sent off in the second quarter for a Flagrant 2 foul following an elbow to the faceAmen Thompson.

However, Detroit was still ahead at halftime thanks to a Duncan Robinson who decided to adjust his sights after a failed matchup against the Bulls (2 points on 1/7 shooting). When entering the dressing room, former Heat gunslinger points to 12 points at 4/7 from distance.

In the fourth quarter, Isaiah Stewart, in turn, was ejected. No panic on the bench as JB Bickerstaff finds the solution in the face Paul Reed. After Duncan Robinson in the first half, the interior was decisive at the end of the match. “The depth of this team is one of our strengths,” underlined by JB Bickerstaff. “Our players can use their strengths to influence the flow of the game.”

At 2m06, Paul Reed is the smaller of the duo at 2m11 Alperen Sengun – Stephen Adams and yet he will manage to grab 9 rebounds and score 13 points, in almost twenty minutes of play. Even better, he would add two blocks, including the decisive final one 30 seconds into the clock.

While the Pistons had a two-point lead, Kevin Durant picks up the ball and looks for a screen from Alperen Sengun. When the Turk opens up, KD sends the ball in, but this pass is deflected by Paul Reed. Despite everything, the Houston star manages to recover it as best he can and tries to grab the overtime. Who is there to reject this attempt? It was Paul Reid who, thanks to this action, sealed it Detroit win (115-111).

Paul Reid wow man so inspiring pic.tvitter.com/eKsmGcLgpEO

— Rip Hamminkton (@RedAlternates) October 25, 2025

A team united in adversity

“He’s a super disruptor”compliments JB Bickerstaff after the meeting. “He knows how to rebound, attack in traffic and he showed tonight that he can finish close to the rim, but the things he does defensively are impressive. He’s a very good player who can get the ball, block or help us finish possessions. He was important for us tonight.”

In a matchup in which the Pistons continued to send the Rockets to the free throw line (48 attempts for Houston vs. 23 for Detroit) and saw shutouts follow one after another from Ron Holland II also had to leave his team in the last act after making six mistakes, Detroit did not give in to panic and could count on the victory of its collective.

“Last year when things got complicated, we tended to let our emotions take over,” remembers JB Bickerstaff. “We did a phenomenal job tonight when the going got tough. We didn’t give up or give up. We kept our composure and were able to fight through everything.”