Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff pointed to seven first-quarter turnovers and Los Angeles’ defensive pressure after his team fell 26 points behind in Sunday’s 121-116 loss to the Lakers.
“I think we had seven turnovers, you know, early,” Bickerstaff said. “They’re one of the best in the league at creating points off of turnovers. So it definitely didn’t get us off to the start we would have liked.”
The Pistons trailed 38-14 after the opening quarter and faced a 26-point deficit early in the second. However, Detroit’s reserves helped turn the game into a contest, with Bickerstaff particularly praising Kevin Huerter and Daniss Jenkins.
“I thought they were awesome. Yeah, I thought they were awesome,” he said. “They brought us energy, lift, a spirit that we needed when we were down. Like we just couldn’t find that rhythm. And they just kept making play after play to help us find our rhythm.”
Jenkins finished with a career-high 31 points, making eight of his 15 three-point attempts. Huerter added 24 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and five blocks in 35 minutes.
The pair combined for 55 points as Detroit’s bench outscored Los Angeles’ reserves 67-45. Bickerstaff also highlighted Huerter’s all-around contribution.
“I mean, you know, he’s an all-around complete basketball player,” the coach said. “I think it’s great for him that he’s getting comfortable understanding his spots where he fits here, you know, being aggressive to make those plays. But I thought he did a great job tonight.”
Asked about Detroit’s recurring problems at the start of games, Bickerstaff said he needed to review the team’s performances and identify the cause.
“I got to just go back, take a look at it, you know, and see what the cause of it is,” he said. “There was a time where our starters were really, really good. So we need to go back and compare the two and see what we’re doing to get better at those starts.”
The Lakers also limited Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson, who both went scoreless in the first half. Cunningham finished with 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting, while Robinson scored 12 on 4-of-12 shooting.
“I thought they did a really good job of just crowding them and not letting them get the space that they need every time,” Bickerstaff said. “They were attacking. There was two or three bodies there, you know, in their space and in their area.”
The Pistons coach also accepted responsibility for helping his leading players find better opportunities.
“So, you know, my responsibility to help them more. So I’ve got to do a better job of that,” he added.
Bickerstaff praised Jenkins’ response after Detroit’s difficult opening quarter, pointing to the guard’s competitiveness as a key factor in the comeback.
“I mean, again, it’s his spirit and his competitiveness,” he said. “Very easily, you know, being down like we were, the group could have gone and called it a night. But I thought he led the charge in the energy, you know, and the competitiveness that we needed to get ourselves back in the game.”
Detroit won the second quarter 34-23 and the third 33-27, but could not complete the comeback. The Pistons also made 19 three-pointers, compared with 11 for Los Angeles, but shot 45% overall.
Bickerstaff said the team needed a collective response to the physical challenge, particularly with Jalen Duren unavailable.
“It’s all hands on deck. You know what I mean? Like the physicality has to start earlier,” he said. “I thought there was some where we allowed them to route us under the basket, and we couldn’t get the position that we liked. You know, so I think that’s where it starts. And it’s not just a one-man job.”
Detroit dropped to 6-3 after its second consecutive loss. The Pistons host the Washington Wizards on Monday, November 9.
