The Pistons' five-game winning streak ends with a loss to the Warriors

Detroit — A balanced demeanor is a personality trait that coach JB Bickerstaff has defined throughout his career. As Detroit Pistons fans began to rejoice over the franchise’s revival, Bickerstaff was a constant reminder that, despite its continued improvements, the team still had a long way to go.

“I think we’re on the right track – you never know exactly how long it will take for something to catch on and become consistent,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s the challenge we face as coaches and players: Trying to figure out how we can do this for 82 games.”

“We want to get to a point where we show up every night and play the way we want to play. We’re still working on it. We had some mistakes in the games and in some quarters of the games, but overall we played into our identity, and the guys have a clear idea of what that is.

Thursday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors was a clear indication of why Bickerstaff wasn’t happy about his team’s recent success. Detroit fought hard against Golden State but suffered a 107-104 loss at Little Caesars Arena.

As always, it was another wild finish for the Pistons. With 4.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Cade Cunningham went 1-2 from the free throw line, intentionally missing the second. He grabbed the offensive rebound and after a review by the officials, the Pistons received the ball for one final possession. Cunningham made a pass inside to Malik Beasley, who missed the game-winning 3-point basket.

The loss ended the Pistons’ five-game winning streak and increased their record to 19-19.

“I give our guys a lot of respect,” Bickerstaff said. “If we come here in a two-in-one game, the other team is waiting for us. We just didn’t get it right from the start. It was like we were having trouble finding our game. But they didn’t give in. They continued to compete.” . They found a way to give themselves an opportunity. But the boys did a great job and fought back.

Three minutes into the first quarter, the Pistons had a 12-4 lead, but Trayce Jackson-Davis began to turn the game in the Warriors’ favor. He scored eight of his 14 points in the first quarter and his performance led to the Warriors taking a 57-47 lead at halftimeTime.

BOX SCORE: Warriors 107, Pistons 104

Jackson Davis recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds. His play was crucial in helping the Warriors end their two-game losing streak. This came despite subpar performances from Hall of Famers Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, who scored 17 and seven points, respectively. Curry shot 5 of 21 from the field and 2 of 14 on 3-point shooting.

Buddy Hield led Golden State with 19 points. At 7:33 of the fourth quarter, Hield hit his fifth three-pointer to give the Warriors a 92-78 lead. His 3-point field goal was part of a 10-0 run that nearly ended the Pistons’ chances of a comeback win.

“It’s a team game,” Beasley said. “From me as guard (Curry) to AT (Ausar Thompson) as guard (Curry), we felt like we did a great job with him. We got other guys to make baskets and they did their job tonight.”

Before Golden State’s run, the Pistons cut their double-digit deficit to four (82-78) after Ron Holland II, who contributed 11 points off the bench, made two free throws. They once trailed the Warriors by as much as 18 points.

Cunningham got Detroit’s run going early in the fourth quarter with a mid-range jumper. He finished the game with 31 points and added eight assists and five rebounds. Beasley scored 21 points and Tobias Harris added 13.

Cunningham’s free throws helped the Pistons get within four points (104-100) with 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter. However, a Golden State turnover led to Beasley making a dunk, leaving Detroit trailing 104-102 with 23 seconds left.

After Curry hit two free throws of his own, the Warriors fouled Cunningham again on Detroit’s next possession. However, he went from the foul line to make it 1:2.

Observations and Notes vs. Warriors

▶ Ausar Thompson returns: After missing the last two games due to illness, Ausar Thompson returned to the starting lineup against the Warriors. In 16 minutes, Thompson finished the game with nine points and three rebounds.

Although Bickerstaff didn’t reveal why the second-year forward missed the last two games, he did note that his illness was not related to a blood clot. However, following Thompson’s return, the Pistons remained shorthanded due to the absence of Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway missed the game with a back injury.

▶ Holland’s shot looks better: Ron Holland still has a long way to go before establishing himself as a reliable 3-point shooter, but the rookie forward has shown some improvement. He shot 2 of 4 from distance in the first half, and the angle of his shot appears to have improved significantly compared to earlier in the year.

Holland’s improved shot is a testament to the countless hours he has put into working with shooting specialist and assistant coach Fred Vinson.

▶ LA wildfires impact Steve Kerr’s family: Although Steve Kerr spent the night coaching the Warriors to their 19th win of the season, his heart was in California. Before the game, Kerr revealed that the wildfires in Los Angeles had a major impact on his hometown of Pacific Palisades.

He is grateful that his family and friends are safe. However, Kerr revealed that his mother and other family members lost their home.

“It was tough,” Kerr said. “The city looks like it has just been completely destroyed. It’s surreal and devastating. Fortunately, almost everyone escaped. But it’s hard to imagine how Pacific Palisades will be rebuilt and become a thriving community again. It’s just shocking.”

The Pistons return to Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night for a game against the Toronto Raptors. They then travel to New York for an away game against the Knicks before playing the next two games at their home stadium. Tipoff between the Pistons and Raptors is scheduled for 7 p.m

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The Pistons’ five-game winning streak ends with a loss to the Warriors

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