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Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff captured his team’s identity after a 93-79 comeback win over the Orlando Magic, saying, “Until it’s over for us, it ain’t over.”
The top-seeded Pistons erased a 24-point deficit Friday at Kia Center, tying the first-round series 3-3 behind a dominant second-half response.
Bickerstaff pointed to the group’s foundation when asked what fueled the rally.
“The character of this group,” he said. “The consistency, the commitment to something greater than themselves, the willingness to do it together.”
Detroit trailed 60-38 at halftime and fell behind 62-38 early in the third, but responded with a decisive run that flipped the game.
“We weren’t going to get it all back at once,” Bickerstaff said. “We would have to make play after play, possession by possession.”
That approach translated into execution on both ends, particularly defensively.
“We took each possession at a time, both offensively and defensively,” he said. “Every screening action, every rebound, all the small things.”
The Pistons held Orlando to just 19 second-half points, including eight in the fourth quarter.
“That was a special performance to hold them to 19 points in the second half,” Bickerstaff said. “Eight points in that final quarter.”
Detroit’s defensive adjustment centered on increased ball pressure.
“We changed the amount of pressure that we were putting at the point of attack,” Bickerstaff said. “We changed how active we were on the ball, how physical we were on the ball.”
The result was historic, as Orlando missed 23 consecutive field goal attempts during the collapse.
“No,” Bickerstaff said when asked if he had seen anything similar. “That was one of the defensive outputs that goes down.”
Bickerstaff emphasized that the team’s response in adversity reflects its season-long identity.
“In adverse situations, you got two options: you fight or you run,” he said. “The nature of this group is they fight.”
He also highlighted the contribution of Paul Reed, who provided energy in a limited role.
“Anytime you put him on the floor, he’s active, aggressive,” Bickerstaff said. “Coming up with steals, deflections, blocked shots, rebounds.”
Detroit outscored Orlando 55-19 after halftime and finished with a 52-38 rebounding advantage.
Bickerstaff credited that effort to a collective mindset.
“They don’t get down. They don’t put their heads down,” he said. “It’s ‘what can I do to help the team?’”
Looking ahead, the head coach stressed the importance of starting strong in Game 7.
“Hopefully we start the game like we finished the game,” he said. “We come out with the type of pressure that we played with tonight.”
Despite the comeback, Bickerstaff noted there is still room for improvement.
“Our defense triggers our offense for us,” he said. “We just got to put it together for 48.”
Game 7 will now decide the series, with Detroit aiming to carry its defensive momentum into a winner-take-all matchup on home floor.
