Pistons' JB Bickerstaff breaks silence on Isaiah Stewart's ejection from Pacers game
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The emotional tides are beginning to take a toll on the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons came up short 133-119 in an intense Central Division collision against the Indiana Pacers. Detroit was forced to play without backup center Isaiah Stewart for most of the contest after getting ejected midway through the second quarter. Stewart was whistled for a flagrant two after shoving Indiana center Thomas Bryant during a free throw attempt. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff briefly shed some light on the altercation during his postgame media session.
“There are things that happen on the basketball court that you have to deal with. Then there are certain things that are said to you that are no longer about basketball. And when it crosses that line like it did tonight, you should be able to stand up for yourself,” Bickerstaff explained. “There were things said tonight that absolutely crossed the line, past basketball, to man-on-man stuff. And if someone says something like that to you that crosses the line, you should have every single right to do what you need to do to defend yourself.”
Both teams have been exchanging heavy trash-talk dating back to their previous matchup at Little Caesars Arena a couple of weeks ago. The revived rivalry escalated with physicality and more chirping at many opportunities. A total of six technical fouls were called by the officials, including four against the Pistons and two against the Pacers.
Many instances occurred where tensions continued to flare on the basketball court. Pacers Myles Turner, Pascal Siakam, and Tyrese Haliburton remained vocal all game after almost each field goal scored against the Pistons. Turner received a technical foul after shoving shooting guard Malik Beasley in the second quarter. Veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. got tangled in a physical altercation with Turner in the second half.
Pistons’ rally efforts come up short in Indiana
Wednesday night’s deficit for the Pistons grew to as many as 20 points. Detroit trimmed the lead as close to four points a few times in the third quarter. Indiana managed to counter the Pistons’ runs with explosive offensive bursts of their own. The Pacers shot 67% from the field in the first half and remained hot at 57% for the game.
Detroit’s third consecutive loss was a product of heavy defensive pressure applied by Indiana. Point guard Cade Cunningham was continuously double-teamed before half-court in order to force the ball out of his hands. The Pacers managed to overcome Cunningham’s significant production of 32 points and nine assists by forcing timely turnovers and tough shots. Bickerstaff addressed the team’s composure and execution to the media afterward.
“We knew that it was going to be one of those games that was going to be competitive, it was going to be physical, it was going to be chippy. I think there were moments where we lost our cool a little bit, which impacted the way we played,” Bickerstaff stated. “Defensively, we could have been better, and I think that’s what this came down to. I thought our guys handled the moment well to score about 120 points. But we made some mistakes defensively, and they made us pay. I thought there some break downs that we could have done better.”
Beasley provided a spark off the bench, scoring 20 points and hitting six 3-pointers. Forward Tobias Harris had a much-needed bounce-back game with 19 points and nine rebounds. Center Jalen Duren recorded his 19th double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
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