Coty Davis asks J.B. Bickerstaff about Cade Cunningham’s 12-point outing in loss to Cleveland.
Coty Davis asks J.B. Bickerstaff about Cade Cunningham’s 12-point outing in loss to Cleveland.
Detroit — Fans booing and leaving Little Caesars Arena two minutes into the fourth quarter doesn’t compare to the terrible performance the Detroit Pistons showed in a 116-95 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Jalen Duren (eight points and seven rebounds) approached the free-throw line at the 3:27 mark of the first quarter. The Pistons had overcome a rough start earlier in the period, and after Duren made 1-of-2 free throws, the Pistons held a 24-22 lead over the Cavaliers.
However, over the next 10 minutes, the Pistons missed 19 consecutive shots. While they struggled to find the basket, the Cavaliers went on a dominant 25-2 run.
“When shots don’t go in, the point is to stay process-driven, making sure you are generating the right looks, and playing the right way,” forward Duncan Robinson said. “There are going to be stretches where the ball doesn’t go in, so that’s when you buckle down defensively and get stops.”
Everything went wrong for the Pistons during their 10 minutes of purgatory. On the offensive end, they missed several easy layups at the rim, which included Cade Cunningham missing a driving layup with 7:14 left in the second quarter.
Along with their shooting struggles, they committed seven out of their 11 first-half turnovers during the stretch. Defensively, they allowed the Cavaliers to capitalize on their mistakes, shooting 38.9% from the field and 40.0% on 3-point shooting.
BOX SCORE: Cavaliers 116, Pistons 95
The Pistons also struggled with discipline, committing 10 personal fouls, which allowed the Cavaliers to shoot 9-of-12 from the free-throw line. By the time Robinson (eight points) scored on a driving layup to end the Pistons’ misery, the Cavaliers had built a 47-28 lead.
“You have to stay with the details of your system,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Being able to fight their pressure with your offensive pressure. I thought there were times when we just stopped moving. If you don’t move and create separation against that team with their size and length, it is going to be very difficult to score. It’s an opportunity for us to learn and get better from it.”
De’Andre Hunter’s layup with 9:41 remaining in the third quarter helped the Cavaliers establish a lead as large as 31 points (74-43). Ron Holland’s energy and effort sparked a brief rally early in the period. However, this momentum was stalled when Cunningham committed an inbound turnover. Holland finished with 11 points and four rebounds.
Five players scored in double figures for the Cavaliers, with Donovan Mitchell leading the way with a game-high 35 points. Evan Mobley added 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
“Give them credit, they’re a good team. They’re a good defensive team,” Bickerstaff said. “We just had a rough night tonight. We turned the ball over 26 times. It’s hard to move your offense when you’re turning the basketball over. But it’s one night – we’ll be better.”
Rough night for Cade: Maybe the beating Cunningham took against the Boston Celtics 24 hours earlier led to one of his worst career performances. He was listed on the Pistons’ injury report with a couple of contusions on his face and hip.
He started the night shooting 1-for-11 from the field, 0-for-6 from behind the arc for four points. He also had a handful of careless turnovers and, at times, did not appear to be engaged in the game.
After knocking down his first 3-point shot at the 9:18 mark of the third quarter, Cunningham stayed aggressive but never found a rhythm close to his All-Star form. His night ended at the start of the fourth quarter, finishing with 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting, 1-of-7 on 3-point shooting, five rebounds, four assists and a team-high five turnovers.
“They’ve got a ton of size, and they do a great job of shrinking the floor and making you play in crowded spaces,” Bickerstaff said. “I’ve got to do a better job of helping him (Cade Cunningham) in those situations, create more space for him in those situations. But again, we’re early in the season. We’ll continue to build from it.”
Turnovers will always be an Achilles heel for Detroit: Turnovers significantly impacted the Pistons’ poor performance against the Cavaliers. The team appeared disjointed, and the players’ chemistry was lacking, resulting in numerous turnovers. The Pistons finished with 26 turnovers, conceding 25 points to Cleveland.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
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