J.B. Bickerstaff's Positive Statement After Pistons' win vs Celtics

Pistons' coach applauds effort on the defensive end.

Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff coaches against the New York Knicks during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Over the past three weeks, the Detroit Pistons have been one of the hottest teams in basketball. Their momentum was put to the test Wednesday night, squaring off against the reigning champion Boston Celtics.

Despite it being their third game in four days, the Pistons did not waste their opportunity to make a statement to the rest of the league. They put together an impressive showing on both ends of the floor en route to securing a 20-point victory.

Part of what makes the Celtics so tough to keep up with is all the offensive firepower on their roster. They'd be slightly shorthanded in this game, as Jalen Brown was inactive. That said, the Pistons did a good job limiting the supporting cast around Jayson Tatum. Detroit's engaged play on the defensive end was a major catalyst in their impressive victory on Wednesday night.

Following the game, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked about the team's strong defensive showing. He had high praise for how they locked in as a group to contain the defending champs.

"I think we were outstanding," Bickerstaff said. "The execution of it, the attention to detail. We had multiple plays where everybody was a part of it, everybody was making extra efforts...Hats off to the crew, they did a helluva on that end tonight."

“I think we were outstanding...They did a helluva job on that end tonight.”

Bickerstaff speaks on the #Pistons defensive performance in their win against the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/imK6xRJrPb

— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) February 27, 2025

This victory extends the Pistons' win streak to eight games, the franchise's longest since 2008. Detroit's record improves to 33-26 on the year, and they are knocking on the door of climbing in the standings. They are now tied with the fifth-place Milwaukee Bucks, and only trail the fourth-place Indiana Pacers by one game.

Even though they were shorthanded, taking down the Celtics in this fashion is a testament to how locked in the Pistons are as a group as they make a push for the postseason.

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