Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff saw more from his side than just the Cade Cunningham show late on to edge out the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

In a scrappy game that came alive in the final four minutes, Cunningham scored four points in the final 52 seconds and eight in the final 3:21 to bring the Pistons a 99-98 victory over the Hawks.

Cunningham would end with 18 points. Jalen Duren led the way with 21 points and 11 boards, but Bickerstaff looked past the individual performances and praised his team’s ability to win even when things aren’t going the way you want them to go.

“Sometimes you just got to win ugly,” Bickerstaff said.

“I think that’s the tale of good teams in this league, it might not be your night, but can you figure out a way to get it done.

“Again, tonight wasn’t our night. We didn’t play to the best of our abilities, but we competed hard enough to give ourselves a chance. Then we were there in the moment, and we had guys make plays for us.”

Cunningham delivered when it mattered most, powering his team to a gritty victory with a poised and determined fourth-quarter performance, highlighted by his eye-widening reverse lay-up in heavy traffic with 17 seconds left to ice the game.

Offensively, it was far from an ideal outing for Detroit, with the team failing to reach the 100-point mark. But it was their resilience that defined the game down the stretch.

In the final four minutes, a surge of defensive stops ignited a decisive run, allowing them to get scores that turned the tide. Players across the roster stepped up, matching Cunningham’s intensity and refusing to let the game slip away.

“I thought our defense triggered it,” Bickerstaff said when talking about the final four minutes, where the Pistons went up a gear.

“We were active with our hands, forced turnovers, got out in transition, and created some easy opportunities for ourselves. Again, that’s the tale of this team. When called upon, we have the ability to get stops.”

It’s what has made this Detroit team successful so far – their ability to not only dazzle but also to be gritty. As long as they get the win, that’s the main prize.

It hasn’t been the prettiest of roads since the 13-game unbeaten streak was broken, but Detroit still sit on top of the Eastern Conference.

By any means necessary.