Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff reflected on Wednesday night’s 130-129 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks, highlighting the resilience of his team.
“We dug a hole in the first half. But to be able to have conversation at halftime and then come out and play the way we did, you know, in that third quarter. Fourth quarter, again is a credit to the guys,” Bickerstaff said.
The Pistons trailed by 21 points at halftime but responded with a 16-0 run to start the third quarter. Bickerstaff emphasized the team’s defensive adjustments and pace control. “It was just defensively you know everything in the first half for them because of the speed that they play at was just coming so easy… we did a much better job in that second half of making things difficult and playing more to our tempo too,” he explained.
Bickerstaff also praised Tobias Harris for his late-game performance. “I mean again we’ve said it time and time again how dependable he’s been and how we can rely on him. You know his veteran leadership, his calmness you know all those things I think were in full effect tonight,” he said regarding Harris’ game-tying shot that sent the game into overtime.
The coach highlighted Ausar Thompson’s offensive development, noting how his confidence in attacking can elevate his game. “It’s great. And you know, that’s the, you know, growth we talk about in his game. And what’s needed there for him to take next steps is you know him being confident in attacking offensively because he’s capable. There’s so many things that he can do when he’s aggressive. You know going to the basket putting pressure on people. You know he’s a high level passer and playmaker as well. So it’s great to see him,” Bickerstaff said.
Despite shooting 51 percent from the field, Detroit struggled from three-point range, hitting just 9 of 33 attempts. The Hawks, led by CJ McCollum and Jalen Johnson, overcame the deficit and secured the win in overtime. Bickerstaff acknowledged the narrow margin and competitive effort. “Obviously we came up you know, a point short, a bucket short. But most teams don’t even get themselves in that position. Most guys most teams don’t have the fortitude to dig down collect themselves, you know, pick themselves up off the mat and so to speak, and go out there and do what our guys did. So no moral victories, but proud of our guys effort,” he said.
Detroit’s focus will now shift to preparing for their next home game against the New Orleans Pelicans, aiming to build on the defensive and offensive adjustments that sparked their third-quarter surge against Atlanta.
