Pistons emerge victorious in preseason finale against Cavaliers

Detroit- Coach JB Bickerstaff believes the Detroit Pistons are in a good position for the 2024-25 season. Bickerstaff felt the three-week training camp period and five preseason games were enough time to get used to his system in his first year at the helm in Detroit.

The final dress rehearsal took place for Bickerstaff on Wednesday evening, which led to the Pistons completing their preseason with a 108:92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in LSmall Caesars Arena. With the win, Detroit ended its exhibition game with a 3-2 record and a outlook for the upcoming season.

“We played well tonight – I’m happy for the guys who were able to hold on,” said Bickerstaff. “A lot of times when you come to camp you have 20 guys that you have to fit into a rotation and get into a rhythm, so it's easy for the guys to become very selfish and ungrateful when they get an opportunity.”

“That wasn’t the case with this group, they continued the identity of the Detroit Pistons. They played hard, shared the ball and played with a lot of energy.”

BOX POINTS: Pistons 108, Cavaliers 92

The Pistons took an early 21-11 lead five minutes into the first quarter. However, a Cleveland timeout led to the Cavaliers ending the quarter on a 23-7 run, resulting in a 34-28 lead. Simone Fontecchio came off the bench and scored 10 of the Pistons' 32 points in the second quarter. He finished the game with a team-best 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 5-of-10 on 3-point shooting.

Fontecchio's best moment of the game came at 5:41 of the third quarter when he converted a crossover to the Cavaliers' Ty Jerome into his fifth triple of the night. Fontecchio's performance helped the Pistons to a 21-14 win over the Cavaliers during that period. Rookie point guard Daniss Jenkins played 22 minutes off the bench and scored 13 points.

“We’re going to come out and be the best version of ourselves and try to outwork every single opponent,” Fontecchio said. “We are young, we have a lot of energy. We have a little chip on our shoulder from last season and we want to come back and get better as a team and as individuals. We want to earn that respect for this league and we’re looking forward to it.”

Jarrett Allen led Cleveland with 19 points and eight rebounds in the loss. He was one of three players to score in double figures for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell played 25 minutes in the loss and finished with 13 points on 5 of 13 shooting and 3 of 6 from long range. Evan Mobley added 10 points.

Observations

▶ Official starting lineup announced?

Bickerstaff remained true to his goal of experimenting with several different lineups before the start of the regular season. Against the Cavaliers, Bickerstaff used his fifth starting five of Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham.

He played his starters for eight minutes. Because of the early 10-point lead, Bickerstaff's starting lineup against the Cavaliers was perhaps the best lineup he had used all preseason. They started the night with eight of their first nine field goal attempts, implementing Bickerstaff's teachings of ball movement and defense.

Each of the five players played in the first quarter. Cunningham recorded six points, four assists and three rebounds. Jalen Duren added six points, three rebounds and a block.

▶ Holland, Fontecchio headlining the reserve unit?

If the final preseason game provided a glimpse of the presumed starters for the regular season, Bickerstaff also evaluated which players would take over as his reserve unit. Led by rookie forward Ron Holland II, the Pistons' second unit also featured Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser, Simone Fontecchio and Malik Beasley.

The lineup played together for nine minutes. Their subpar performance at the end of the first quarter contributed significantly to Detroit giving up its early 10-point lead. However, they started to gain momentum early in the second quarter. In addition to Fontecchio scoring 12 points in the quarter, Holland continued to show why he can be a spark plug off the bench by posting eight points, six rebounds, three assists and a block in 24 minutes.

“He's a tough competitor, and in this business you can't use that word lightly,” Bickerstaff said. “The only thing that matters to him is the influence on the victory. His mindset is what needs to be done now to help this team. I think that's why he fits in so well… What impressed me most is how hard he competes.”

▶ Reasons to worry about Sassar's protocols?

Sasser may be the only player who didn't establish himself as part of Bickerstaff's regular-season rotation. He played most of the game with foul trouble and had his worst performance of the preseason.

He finished the game with two points on 1-of-5 shooting, five assists and a team-high four turnovers. In the second quarter, Sasser committed two turnovers, one of which came after he dribbled the ball off his left foot. A few possessions later, Sasser blasted a 3-point field goal attempt and showed his frustration on the court.

▶ Next

The Pistons begin the 2024-25 season on Wednesday night at home against their Central Division rival, the Indiana Pacers. Last season, the Pistons lost their four-game regular season series 4-0.

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Pistons emerge victorious in preseason finale against Cavaliers

Observations

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