There’s no moral victory for Pistons’ JB Bickerstaff after tough loss to Hawks

The Detroit Pistons absorbed a tough loss to the Atlanta Hawks in overtime, 130-129, at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday and saw their four-game winning streak get snapped.

The Pistons had two chances to steal the win in the final possession, but Tobias Harris missed a jumper with 2.9 seconds left, while Jalen Duren, who grabbed the offensive rebound, muffed a gimme as time expired.

Detroit rallied from a 21-point deficit to send the game into an extension, courtesy of Harris’ jumper. The team, however, still ultimately fell short.

Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff lauded their comeback, but he also implied that they cannot celebrate a loss, as shown in the video posted by The Detroit News’ Coty Davis.

“We did not like the way we dug a hole in the first half. But to be able to have a conversation at halftime and then come out and play the way we did in the third and fourth quarters, it’s a credit to the guys,” said Bickerstaff.

“Obviously, we came up a bucket short. But most teams won’t even get themselves in that position. Most teams don’t have the fortitude to dig deep, collect themselves, pick themselves up off the mat, so to speak, and do what our guys did. No moral victories, but I’m proud of our guys’ effort.”

“We did not like the way we dug a hole in the first half…No moral victories.”

Bickerstaff speaks on the #Pistons battling back from a 21-point deficit following their loss to the Hawks. pic.twitter.com/cIbhluHyM5

— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) March 26, 2026

The Pistons lost for the first time since Cade Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung.

They have played well without the two-time All-Star, with Duren, Harris, Duncan Robinson, Daniss Jenkins, and Ausar Thompson carrying the cudgels. They all scored in double digits against the Hawks, led by Duren with 26 points.

The Pistons, who fell to 52-20, including 28-9 at home, will look to bounce back on Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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