Pistons' JB Bickerstaff calling for full on Pacers rivalry after heated loss

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Another noteworthy NBA rivalry may be in the making between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers.

The Pistons came up short in a tough 111-100 loss to the Pacers at Little Caesars Arena. Both teams engaged in plenty of trash talk and chippy play throughout the game. Pistons’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked during the postgame if this was the rebirth of the historic rivalry. Bickerstaff was all for the idea when he answered it to the media.

“I hope so. When we were kicking their a** at their place, it wasn’t the same. So if that’s the way it’s going to be, let’s make it that way,” Bickerstaff openly said.

Both Central Division teams played a physical back-and-forth matchup with hopes of moving up in the Eastern Conference. The heated exchanges were on high display at the end of the game when both teams had to be separated at mid-court for intense chirping. Pacers’ head coach Rick Carlisle provided his insight on the battle after the game as well.

"We knew this was going to be a physical and emotional battle. This is a team on the rise, and we're right there with them in the standings. It’s a divisional game, and they beat us badly in the last game,” Carlisle said. “I liked our disposition; we stayed tough and together, and we kept our poise. They made runs, which we fully expected." 

The Pistons and Pacers have one of the most infamous rivalries in league history, dating back to the early 2000s. The 2004 Malice at the Palace featured one of the craziest basketball moments ever where a fight between both teams escalated to fighting with fans.

The rivalry between the current rosters even dates back to last season. During the 2024 Rising Stars Challenge, Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin and Pistons guard Jaden Ivey had a heated interaction. Both players were nose to nose after Mathurin told Ivey he “couldn’t guard him” during the friendly exhibition.

Pistons take accountability for loss

Detroit came out flat on both sides of the ball against Indiana. They were somewhat sloppy with their execution on offense by turning the ball over 19 times. There was very little scoring rhythm as well for the Pistons by shooting 39.6% from the field and 25% from three.

Indiana took advantage of Detroit’s lackluster defense by building a lead as big as 20 points in the second quarter. The Pistons allowed 40 points to the Pacers in the same quarter, which forced a huge deficit to fight back from. Even when Detroit made runs, Indiana responded with a run of their own to kill the momentum. Bickerstaff took ownership for the loss during when he spoke to the media afterward.

"I shoulder the responsibility of doing more to help. This one is on me. I've got to do more to help our guys in those situations to make sure we're seeing the clear picture,” Bickerstaff admitted. “The guys we put out on the court are fine. There are just circumstances and situations that were unfolding in front of  us, and it's my responsibility to help those guys recognize those situations." 

The players responded to their coaches honesty by taking responsibility themselves. Center Jalen Duren was appreciative of the words from Bickerstaff but stated the team needed to be better for the provided game plan.

"I feel like this is on us. I could have been better. We all could have been better. Starters could have been better. But I won't put that on Coach. I'll say Coach gave us a game plan and we have to do a better job executing as a team,” Duren explained. “We'll be better. We're not going to let this snowball. It's a tough loss; we wanted this one. But we have Phoenix coming in, so we'll get ready for them and  get back to it."  

Shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Pistons in scoring with 25 points in 30 minutes. Point guard Cade Cunningham scored 20 points, dished nine assists, but had a tough night controlling the offense with seven crucial turnovers. Duren put together one of his best statistical games of the season by scoring 17 points and grabbing 17 boards.

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