The Detroit Pistons were less than three minutes away from taking full control of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night before the Cleveland Cavaliers stormed back for a 117-113 overtime win at Little Caesars Arena.
After the loss, Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff delivered a postgame press conference that reflected both frustration and belief as the top-seeded Pistons now trail the series 3-2 heading into Game 6 in Cleveland.
Detroit led 103-94 late in regulation before Cleveland closed the fourth quarter on a dominant run and eventually outscored the Pistons 14-10 in overtime. James Harden finished with 30 points for Cleveland, while Donovan Mitchell added 21 and Evan Mobley scored 19.
The Pistons struggled offensively once the Cavaliers began aggressively trapping Cade Cunningham late in the game. Cunningham still finished with 39 points and nine assists, but Detroit went scoreless for nearly five minutes spanning the fourth quarter and overtime.
“I feel like we slowed our tempo down,” Bickerstaff said. “Started playing in the half court. Thought we had success when we got out in transition. We got stops and were able to get out and run.”
The Detroit coach repeatedly pointed to Cleveland’s defensive adjustment against Cunningham as the turning point.
“And then they started doubling and getting the ball out of Cade’s hands,” Bickerstaff said. “So we’ll find ways to fix it. We’ll be better.”
Bickerstaff also expressed frustration over a no-call involving Jarrett Allen and Ausar Thompson in the closing seconds of regulation. Allen and Thompson became tangled while chasing a loose ball just before the buzzer, with no foul called.
“He fouled Ausar,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s clear he trips him when he’s going for a loose ball in a game situation. That’s tough.”
Detroit received important contributions from unexpected sources throughout the game. With Duncan Robinson unavailable, Daniss Jenkins scored 19 points in 41 minutes, while Paul Reed gave the Pistons energy late after not appearing until the fourth quarter.
“I just thought he gives us that spark,” Bickerstaff said about Reed. “He’s always ready when the moment calls for it.”
The Pistons coach described Reed as “a run stopper for us” after Cleveland’s momentum shifted in the second half.
Detroit also leaned on Marcus Sasser and Isaiah Stewart for stretches off the bench, continuing a postseason trend where multiple role players have been forced into expanded responsibilities around Cunningham.
“Our guys, like we’ve talked about it all year up and down this roster, we have guys that compete at a high level,” Bickerstaff said. “We have guys that can contribute on any given night.”
Even after surrendering a late nine-point lead at home, Bickerstaff made it clear the Pistons do not view the series as slipping away despite heading back to Cleveland, where the Cavaliers have dominated this postseason.
“You’re going to have to choke the life out of this team,” Bickerstaff said. “We’re not going to go down without a fight. We’re not going to go down without kicking and punching and clawing.”
Detroit finished the regular season with the NBA’s best record at 60-22 and had won four straight home playoff games entering Wednesday night. Now the Pistons face elimination Friday night against a Cavaliers team that finally earned its first road win of the postseason.
Still, Bickerstaff insisted his team’s mentality remains unchanged.
“We’ve been in this position before, and we were able to work our way through it,” Bickerstaff said. “And I expect our guys to be ready mentally to go out and compete at a high level and bring this thing back here.”
