J.B. Bickerstaff credits Pistons defense for ninth straight win
J.B. Bickerstaff credits Detroit Pistons defense for ninth straight win and comeback over 76ers, Nov. 14, 2025.
The Detroit Pistons will be without Cade Cunningham when they host the Indiana Pacers on Monday, Nov. 17. However, their pregame injury report also came with good news.
Jalen Duren will return after missing two games with a right ankle sprain. Cunningham, who was listed as questionable leading into the game, has been ruled out for the third straight game. Ausar Thompson is also dealing with a right ankle sprain and will miss his fourth in a row.
The Pistons also will be without Tobias Harris (right ankle sprain), who has missed seven straight games, and Bobi Klintman (left ankle sprain), who was added to the report on Sunday. Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser also remain out and have yet to make their season debuts.
Cunningham was listed as questionable on Friday but was ruled out shortly before opening tip in the Pistons’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He suffered a hard fall late in the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 10 after Cam Whitmore fouled him during a dunk attempt. Against the Wizards, Cunningham made a brief trip to the locker room, then returned and played out the remainder of the quarter and overtime.
He finished with a career-high 46 points (on a franchise-record 45 shot attempts), 12 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and just two turnovers in 45 minutes to lead the Pistons to a 137-135 OT win.
Duren was also listed as questionable and then ruled out before Friday’s game. Both Duren and Cunningham appeared in all of the Pistons first 11 games and are the team’s leading scorers during their 11-2 start, the franchise’s best since the 2005-06 season. Cunningham is averaging 27.5 points, 9.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, while Duren is averaging 19.4 points, 12 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals.
Jaden Ivey is nearing his four-week re-evaluation date following arthroscopic surgery Oct. 16 on his right knee, and has resumed on-court workouts. Marcus Sasser is at least three weeks away from his reevaluation date as he rehabs a left hip impingement.
The Pistons pulled off a second consecutive improbable win without Cunningham, Duren and half of their rotation Friday, defeating the 76ers 114-105 to improve to 2-0 in NBA Cup play and extend their winning streak to nine games – their longest since winning 11 straight in 2007-08.
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