Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Paul Reed’s contributions in 118-112 loss to Miami
Forward Paul Reed had nine points in 12 minutes in 118-112 loss against the Heat at Little Caesars Arena.
Detroit — Coach J.B. Bickerstaff altered the Detroit Pistons’ schedule. After a four-hour flight from Los Angeles on Wednesday, Bickerstaff determined it was best to cancel their regular shoot-around and conduct a walk-through three hours before their game against the Miami Heat.
The plan was to give the players extra rest because the Pistons had recently returned from a demanding 12-day, five-game West Coast road trip. Although Bickerstaff had good intentions, it didn’t stop the Pistons from suffering a 118-112 defeat at the hands of the Heat at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.
“We just did not come to play,” Ausar Thompson said. “We took this game for granted. They came in and hit us (in the mouth).”
The Pistons began the night strongly during the first five minutes, but they seemed to lose energy after the Heat embarked on a 14-0 run at the end of the first quarter. Detroit fought back at the start of the second period and briefly took the lead at 44-40; however, they were unable to maintain that momentum.
Most of the struggles the Pistons faced came on the defensive end, especially when it came to containing Norman Powell. He had an impressive performance, scoring a game-high 36 points on 12-of-23 shooting, including seven 3-pointers.
Similar to what Kawhi Leonard had done four days earlier in Los Angeles, Powell had a standout third-quarter performance, scoring 15 points. Bam Adebayo added a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds. Powell’s performance had the Pistons becoming aware of their recent slippage on the defensive end.
“You have to figure out a balance.”
Bickerstaff speaks on the preparation that goes into getting the team ready for tonight’s game against the Heat after a long West Coast road trip. #Pistons pic.twitter.com/uFppbSlP1U
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) January 1, 2026
“We haven’t played to our standard on that side of the floor. You know what we’re known for on that side of the floor,” Isaiah Stewart said. “We haven’t been there, you know, this last stretch out West and even tonight. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and challenge ourselves, each one of us, to be the best we can on that end. Because that’s what this team is about. We’re a defensive team. Start on the defensive and translate to offense.”
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 31 points, shooting 17-of-18 from the free-throw line. He also recorded 11 assists, seven rebounds, and two blocks. However, Marcus Sasser provided the Pistons with a crucial boost for the second consecutive game.
He came off the bench and contributed 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting. He also accounted for four of Detroit’s nine made 3-point field goals. He is now averaging 18.5 points on 61.2% shooting over the last two games.
“We trust him. This isn’t something that happened overnight, our belief in him. He came in and was great for us last year,” Bickerstaff said. “When we played him his minutes through training camp, I mean he played well. The injury just kind of bit him in the butt a little bit as far as timing goes. We know he’s a talented basketball player. We know he’s a high-level scorer, a tough-minded, dogged defender. So, he’s got all of our trust.”
Jalen Duren was on track for another dominant performance, but he turned his ankle late in the second quarter. He attempted to play at the beginning of the third but left the game a few minutes into the second half and was ruled out for the remainder of the night. He finished with 12 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.
Observations and notes
▶ Tobias Harris will be day-to-day: The Pistons have been relatively healthy over the past few weeks, but they rang in the New Year with two of their core players sidelined by injury. A left hip sprain sustained against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday kept Tobias Harris out. Prior to the game, Bickerstaff said he had limited information on Harris’ injury at the moment, but Harris will be day-to-day moving forward.
In addition to Harris, Caris LeVert missed his second consecutive game due to left knee inflammation. Bickerstaff said LeVert is “doing okay,” but noted that his knee had flared up in recent days.
▶ Paul Reed changes the momentum: The Pistons overcame a 22-point deficit and came within two points (114-112) with 46 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Several players played a role in Detroit’s late-game efforts, but none more so than Paul Reed. The veteran big man played 12 minutes following the absence of Duren and changed the game on both ends, finishing with nine points, seven rebounds and two steals.
“I thought he did a great job, and that is what P. Reed does.”
Bickerstaff speaks on Paul Reed providing the #Pistons with a lift in the second half, finishing with nine points, seven rebounds, and two steals in 12 minutes. pic.twitter.com/RsVodgltcJ
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) January 2, 2026
▶ The Pistons are not a good shooting team: Although the Pistons appeared lethargic for most of the night, they could have secured a victory had their shooting been better. Outside of Sasser, the Pistons shot poorly, finishing 9-of-26 from 3-point range. The Pistons have proven on several occasions this season that shooting could be a significant detriment. They currently rank 21st in the league in 3-point shooting, connecting at just 35.0%.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24