J.B. Bickerstaff Explains Pistons’ Comeback vs. Bucks on Sunday

J.B. Bickerstaff reacted to the Detroit Pistons' impressive victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Justin Grasso | Oct 7, 2024

May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff checks the scoreboard during a timeout in the second quarter of game one of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images / Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

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Damian Lillard was a man on a mission through the first seven minutes of the Detroit Pistons vs. Milwaukee Bucks preseason opener on Sunday night.

The veteran guard launched seven shots from the field and knocked down all but two of them. He was nearly perfect from beyond the arc, drilling four of his five shots from deep. With 14 points, Lillard helped the Bucks nearly score 40 points off the bat, garnering an 18-point lead.

Considering what the Pistons went through last season, winning just 14 of 82 games, the feeling felt too familiar for the team. First-year Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was on a mission to get his team to settle down.

Seeing the way the rest of the game played out, it’s safe to say he was successful in calming the storm.

"We just got a little more comfortable,” Bickerstaff told reporters after the game, according to Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press.

“We were really, really excited to just play a game, and you do that against veteran guys like Lillard and Lopez, they know how to make you pay.”

The Pistons turned the game around in quarter No. 2. After giving up 39 points, Detroit held Lillard and the Bucks to under 20 points before the half. The red-hot All-Star guard cooled down and scored just one point in nine more minutes of action.

By halftime, the Pistons held a two-point lead. An early timeout by Bickerstaff helped them get to that point.

“After the timeout, we settled ourselves down,” he continued. “Our defensive intensity, all of it picked up."

The Pistons dominated the turnover battle on Sunday. They forced Milwaukee to cough up the ball 25 times. As a result, Detroit scored over 30 points on turnovers.

On the other end, the Pistons lost control of the ball on just 12 occasions.

Defensively, Detroit won the steal battle 14-6. While they didn’t produce as many blocks as the Bucks, their production everywhere else was enough to dominate Milwaukee for the first of many battles this year.

The Pistons wrapped up their first preseason outing with a dominant 120-87 win. While they won’t be overreacting to a preseason win, Detroit can feel good seeing their young squad find a way to relax and form a comeback against a championship-ready team.