Pistons Notes: Game 1 Loss, Offense, Cunningham, Duren, Confidence

The Pistons were the only high seed and home team to lose Game 1 of their first-round series. They were blindsided by No. 8 seed Orlando, 112-101, on Sunday after having a week off. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff felt that layoff played a role in the loss, as the Pistons trailed by 13 five minutes into the contest and never caught up.

“I thought we were a little rusty to start,” he said. “Coming out, giving up a 35-point quarter; that’s not typical for us. It felt like we were just chasing them all night. We made some runs to get ourselves back in the ball game. Defensively, I didn’t think we were our best. Critical errors, mistakes that they made us pay for. “

Forward Ausar Thompson agreed the start of the game had a major impact.

“Just not coming out ready to play,” he said. “They came out and they hit us first. So, we have to do a better job of coming out and hitting them first and executing our coverages better.”

Here’s more on the Pistons:

• There was much speculation that the Pistons might not be as effective in the postseason as they were during the regular season due to a lack of a reliable secondary scorer. That’s what it looked like in Game 1, as Cade Cunningham scored 39 points and only one other player reached double figures. Bickerstaff said there needed to be more ball movement. “It’s something we just need to pay attention to. I think they were spot on,” he said. “There were times in the games where we got stagnant. I feel like that happened to us because we got down early. Then it felt like there was so much weight, and so much pressure on each possession. Then, we got to a point where we were just trying to do it all and help hit a home run every time. So, again, I thought there were moments where we found what we needed to do and we just need to replicate that more often.”
• Cunningham’s performance was a bright spot, especially considering he missed a chunk of late-season games due to a collapsed lung. “I felt great. I really felt great,” he said. “It’s been a lot of time in between (Sunday) and the injury for me now. I’ve had great preparation – training staff, weight room staff – everybody’s put a lot of time in with me. I feel great. There was a stint towards the end [of the game] that I was a little tired. I came out for a minute or two, coach got me a break, and then after that, I felt good to finish the game. So, I feel great. Excited for the next.”
• The team’s other All-Star, center Jalen Duren, was limited to four shot attempts. He wasn’t much of a factor, contributing just eight points and seven rebounds. “They packed the paint in,” Bickerstaff said. “They’re going to put a bunch of bodies in the paint to try to make it difficult on him. Our pick-and-roll game; making sure we’re executing properly [so] they can create space for him. It was a good opportunity for us to see, and then we’ll go prepare for the next one.”
• The Pistons still haven’t won a home playoff game since 2008, a streak of 11 consecutive losses. Game 2 in Detroit on Wednesday could prove pivotal and Cunningham is confident they’ll end that long slide. “I know that (the Magic) feel great about this game,” Cunningham said, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “It was a big win for them. They came in, they handled their business and stole one on the road. That’s what you want to do in a playoff series. I’m sure that they feel great about that. Obviously we’re sick about losing this one. It’s a long series, though, and there’s no confidence drop from us. We know their team, they know us. It’ll be a long, fun series.”