The Detroit Pistons bounced back impressively, earning their first victory of the regular season in a 115-111 battle against the Houston Rockets. The chippy matchup turned out in the Pistons' favor after coming up short in their season opener on Wednesday versus the Chicago Bulls. Detroit also helped make history for head coach J.B. Bickerstaff as he earned his 300th career victory.
Bickerstaff has begun his second season as the lead voice for the Pistons. Their Friday night victory showed a true testament to the gritty play style Bickerstaff wants to establish as the franchise foundation. Bickerstaff was proud of his team's resilience and competitive nature in their win on the road against Houston.
“I think our guys lived up to our motto for the season. What we want to do is control the chaos, and I think that's what you saw out there on the floor,” Bickerstaff stated during the Pistons' postgame media session. “Last year, there were times when things got a little muddy and we let our emotions get the best of us. I think tonight we did a phenomenal job of when things got messy, we didn't back down or shy away. We kept our composure, and we were able to execute through it.”
All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham finished the night with a near triple-double in the winning effort. He led the Pistons with 21 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Detroit's franchise leader helped ice the game, knocking down two huge free throws with five seconds left, putting the Pistons up four points.
Forward Ausar Thompson scored a season-high 19 points against his twin brother, Amen Thompson. He had an efficient scoring night, hitting 9-of-16 shots, including a confident triple in the second half.
Shooting guard Duncan Robinson rebounded drastically with an impressive 17-point performance. Robinson had an off-season debut against the Bulls by scoring only two points in 32 minutes. The Pistons kept him involved offensively, making 5-of-9 attempts from the field and 4-of-8 from three.
Breakout performance by Pistons' Paul Reed
One of the most underrated veterans on the Pistons roster has been big man Paul Reed. Detroit entered the matchup with a shorthanded roster without Jaden Ivey, Marcus Sasser, and Caris LeVert due to injuries. Adversity kicked up when the Pistons lost key depth in the front court, and Reed was a major X-factor for their victory.
Center Jalen Duren was ejected for a physical scuffle with Amen Thompson. The Pistons also lost backup center Isaiah Stewart and forward Ron Holland in the fourth quarter when they both fouled out.
Reed stepped in seamlessly making an impact offensively and defensively. The 26-year-old forward scored 13 points on 6-10 shooting. However, his most vital contributions came from guarding All-Star center Alperen Sengun late in the fourth quarter. He forced two key turnovers by Sengun to help set up big baskets by the Pistons on the other end.
Reed's teammates offered tremendous praise for his efforts in the win. Thompson called Reed the “hardest working man” he's ever met after the game concluded, via Anthony on X, formerly Twitter. Cunningham stated the Pistons would not have been able to win that game without the efforts of their backup big man, via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
