Pistons eager to get past ‘bump in the road,’ visit Nets
For the first time in one of their best seasons in two decades, the Detroit Pistons are encountering adversity.
The Pistons will attempt to stop a season-worst four-game losing streak Tuesday night when they visit the Brooklyn Nets.
One of Detroit's defeats was a 107-105 home loss to the Nets on Saturday, when Detroit squandered a 23-point lead and coach J.B. Bickerstaff said his team "disrespected the game." The loss to Brooklyn followed a four-point setback in Cleveland and a 15-point defeat at San Antonio.
Cade Cunningham did not play Saturday as the Pistons rested their star guard on the front end of a back-to-back set. Cunningham returned Sunday and scored 26 points, but Detroit never recovered from a slow start and fell 121-110 to the Miami Heat.
The Pistons are trying to avoid a fifth straight loss for the first time since a six-game slide from April 1-11, 2024, in the final weeks of their 68-loss campaign. On Sunday, Detroit shot 6 of 22 from the field in the first quarter, trailed 34-16 at the end of the period and allowed over 120 points for the ninth time this season.
"This is the first time, really, this year we've hit somewhat of a bump in the road," Bickerstaff said. "And it's good for us, right? The adversity is good for us. It's only going to bring us closer together. This group has proven that."
Before the past week, Detroit had lost consecutive games on only two occasions. This slump is following a stretch of 11 wins in 13 games that featured two victories over the New York Knicks and defeats of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Detroit played the back-to-back set without Ausar Thompson, who injured his ankle early in a Thursday loss to the San Antonio Spurs and will be re-evaluated next week.
The Nets followed their impressive comeback against the Pistons by taking the lead for good at the end of the first quarter and pulling away in the fourth for a 126-115 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Brooklyn is on its fourth winning streak this season -- this one after losing 10 games in a row -- and is attempting to win three straight for the second time this season. The Nets will get Michael Porter Jr. back from a rest, and without their leading scorer, they shot a season-best 51.5% (17 of 33) from 3-point range against Memphis.
Day'Ron Sharpe contributed to Saturday's comeback with nine of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and followed it with a season-high-tying 19 points, including Brooklyn's first seven points of the fourth against the Grizzlies. Ochai Agbaji added a season-best 18, and his effort was part of a 67-point showing from Brooklyn's reserves.
"We're trying to win every game," Sharpe said. "So it felt great for us to get the last win and to get a win today. Nobody likes losing, so just always trying to win, always bring good energy in the locker room."
The Nets continue to give rookies Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf time in the starting lineup, and both contributed on Monday. Traore finished with 17 points and hit four 3s after scoring two points Saturday, while Wolf contributed 14 points and reached double figures for the fifth time in seven games.