After years of losing, the Pistons “Think of this year’s NBA Cup as a chance to experience high-stakes basketball,” he writes Omari Sankofa II from The Detroit Free Press. The Pistons were one of the surprises of the tournament, winning their first three games by a total of 28 points. They can secure a spot in the knockout rounds by beating Milwaukee and practicing on Tuesday JB Bickerstaff said his team takes the games very seriously.
“Our boys wanted to win. They came out with a sense of urgency.” he said after Friday's NBA Cup win over Indiana. “We've talked about it, but this gives our guys a chance to play important games and see how they respond. I thought our guys did a great job of responding positively and playing with the sense of urgency that you have to play with to win meaningful games.”
That's a huge turnaround from last season, when Detroit lost 4-0 in the Cup game while the franchise was on a record-setting losing streak. This memory was fresh Cade Cunninghamwho remembered the Pacers embarrassing him a year ago.
“We need every game we can get anyway, but I remember Indiana playing us in the regular-season tournament last year and how seriously they took it.” he said. “They wanted points, they just beat us. This game was very personal for us, but in general we all want to go to Vegas and have the experience of winning something. We’ll try.”
There's more from the Central Division:
- Cunningham made an obvious impact on the team when he returned Friday after missing three games with a sprained left sacroiliac joint Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Patterson notes that in addition to his performance, Cunningham instills confidence in his teammates that allows them to play at a higher level. “Cade is the type of person and player who stands by you, no matter what is good or bad.” Bickerstaff said. “He believes in you because he watches how hard everyone works and knows what everyone is capable of. When you have a leader who believes in you, it gives you more comfort and more confidence.”
- dollar Swingman Chris Middleton I'll miss another game tonight against Washington, but coach Doc Rivers said he's getting closer to his season debut, per Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel. Middleton had planned a day off for training on Friday, but completed a productive five-on-five session earlier in the week. “He’s making progress” Rivers told reporters. “I will say it again and again. You can ask as many questions as you want, it won’t make him come back any quicker.”
- The Bulls They have a lot of problems to deal with, but they don't need a coaching change, he says Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Billy Donovan has shown the ability to adapt to its personnel, Cowley notes, moving from 28th in the league last year to near the top this season.
