Pistons' JB Bickerstaff shares eye-opening takeaway from NBA Cup loss to Bucks
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The NBA In-Season Tournament came to an end for the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. The East Group B final matchup ended with the Pistons losing big to the Milwaukee Bucks at home 128-107. Detroit had an opportunity to advance to the Knockout Round in Las Vegas, but the loss eliminated them from the second annual tournament.
This was one of the first professional times playing in a playoff-like scenario for most of the young Pistons’ roster. Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke in the postgame media session about what moments like these can do for a team learning how to win.
"This was a great opportunity to experience for our guys. The message to our guys is, for a lot of us in the NBA, this was the biggest game that we've had, playing against a team that has champions on it, guys who have been through the fire before and understand what it takes to reach that next level.”
Detroit approached the contest with new circumstances with a goal beyond development. There was plenty to learn facing a team like Milwaukee with years of postseason experience. Bickerstaff explained the impact of playing a team like that in a win-or-go-home situation.
“The NBA doesn't let you skip steps. All those guys in that locker room who won championships or had playoff success at some point in time as a team didn't reach their goals either,” Bickerstaff explained. “They learned from it, got better from it, and that's what we have to do. We've got to learn from it, see what it felt like. You don't know what it feels like until you go through it. Being able to go through that, now we know what it feels like. The next time we're presented with that situation we expect to be improved."
Milwaukee led by as many as 26 points in their blowout victory. They dominated offensively shooting 56.3% as a team from the field and 56.1% from three. Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 28 points and missing only one shot hitting 10-11 shots. Point guard Damian Lillard had an impactful 27 points for the Bucks as he shot 9-17 from the field and knocked down five three-pointers as well.
Pistons’ point guard Cade Cunningham led the Pistons in scoring with 23 points along with six assists. Forward Tobias Harris added 16 points in 32 minutes for Detroit. Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. pitched in 15 points through 28 minutes.
Tough whistle for the Pistons
The Bucks and Pistons fought hard in a physical effort to advance in the In-Season Tournament. The officials called 21 personal fouls against Detroit compared to 17 against Milwaukee. The Pistons shot more free throws but there were many disputed calls by Detroit’s coaching staff.
Center Isaiah Stewart fouled out of the game in the third quarter after a challenging matchup against Antetokounmpo. Starting center Jalen Duren drew three early first-half fouls and finished with five. Both bigs had a problem guarding the bruising Bucks’ superstar as he continuously drove hard to the lane looking for contact.
Bickerstaff commented on the questionable officiating by the referees after they played one another last month. He addressed the matter again after the double-digit loss on Tuesday.
"At the end of the day the only thing that matters is trying to win a game. Overcoming those types of things we just have to be able to do. The message to the guys is nobody is going to give you anything,” Bickerstaff stated. “We have to go out and take the respect of this league. When you earn the respect, when you earn the reputation, those things change for you."
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