The Detroit Pistons insist they are not alarmed by their roughest stretch of the season, even after Sunday’s 104-94 defeat in Miami marked a fourth consecutive loss and trimmed their Eastern Conference cushion over the Boston Celtics to 2.5 games.
“It’s the NBA. The season is long,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said postgame. “Everybody hits a rut. We’ve got plenty of time to do what we need to do. Our focus is on us, not Boston.”
Cade Cunningham, back after missing Saturday’s outing against Brooklyn with a left quad contusion, posted 26 points and 10 assists, but the effort could not halt Detroit’s skid. Three of the four defeats have come against Cleveland, San Antonio and Miami, a demanding run that players say explains—rather than alarms—the club.
“It’s probably our biggest dose of adversity all year,” forward Tobias Harris noted. “We’ll keep our heads high and figure out how to be better as a group.”
Around the Central Division
Cavaliers – A 117-95 home loss to Boston left Cleveland looking for answers as the team continues to integrate newly acquired guard James Harden. “That’s the standard right there,” Harden said after his 10th game with the Cavs. “When we reach that level, we’ll be a much better team.”
Bucks – Forward Ousmane Dieng said he mastered Milwaukee’s playbook within “two or three days” after last month’s trade from Oklahoma City. The 21-year-old, previously parked on the Thunder bench, has seen a larger role since arriving. “When you play the right way, you can play with anybody,” Dieng said.
Pacers – Head coach Rick Carlisle expressed concern after guard T.J. McConnell exited Sunday’s game with right hamstring soreness. The team did not provide an immediate timetable for evaluation.
Source: Hoops Rumors
