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Detroit Pistons Coach's Blunt Statement on Loss vs Utah Jazz

What went wrong for the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night?
Justin Grasso|
Nov 17, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff gestures from the bench against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff gestures from the bench against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Detroit PistonsUtah Jazz

Just one quarter into Thursday night’s battle against the Utah Jazz, the Detroit Pistons trailed 48-19.

It was a tough start that proved to be too much for the Pistons to overcome, even when they established a groove as quickly as the second quarter.

“We didn’t approach the game the way we should,” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff explained to reporters after the game. “Then, for 12 minutes of the game, we didn’t make the adjustments needed. That’s where this came about.”

To put it as simply as possible, the Jazz got whatever they wanted through the first 12 minutes of action. With the Pistons struggling defensively, Utah made them pay by making over 60 percent of their shots from the field and averaging nearly 70 percent from three.

The Jazz surely didn’t look like a five-win team, which raised the question: Did the Pistons take a team with a noticeably worst record lightly?

“Our guys respect everybody they play against,” Bickerstaff claimed. “We just didn’t play with the physicality that we needed to start a game, to set a tone.”

Bickerstaff gave the Jazz credit for their sharpshooting, but it’s not as simple as Utah made shots and the Pistons have to live with it.

“They got comfortable, and they shot a phenomenal percentage in that quarter, don’t get me wrong,” Bickerstaff added, “but the game came too easy to them.”

The turnaround in Detroit’s favor in the second quarter proved that the Pistons had the ability to come with it on Thursday night. Holding the Jazz to under 40 percent from the field in quarter two, the Pistons outscored Utah 35-19 before halftime.

By the end of the night, the Pistons had forced 27 turnovers. Due to their early deficit, they didn’t stand a chance to complete the comeback. Detroit took on a 126-119 loss.

After a thrilling overtime victory against a playoff-caliber Miami Heat team, the Pistons lost their momentum with a bad loss against Utah at home. They now fall to 11-17 on the season before hitting the West Coast for a tough road trip beginning in Phoenix on Saturday.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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