The Detroit Pistons were outplayed by the Cleveland Cavaliers from start to finish in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series. The Pistons were sent home after a mauling by the Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena.
There were rumblings about JB Bickerstaff’s future as head coach after the game, but The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson reported that his position with the Pistons is safe.
“The Pistons view him as the coach of the future, and the expectation, per league sources, is for Bickerstaff to be around long term,” Patterson wrote. “He’s established meaningful relationships throughout the locker room and has cultivated a culture that the organization believes is sustainable, given the team’s youth.”
The Pistons just couldn’t buy a basket or make a stop in their 125-94 loss, with Cade Cunningham being limited to just 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting. Jalen Duren remained in his slump with seven points and nine rebounds.
Daniss Jenkins was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points, while Duncan Robinson scored 13 points off the bench.
JB Bickerstaff’s Positive Reaction to Game 7 Defeat
GettyJ.B. Bickerstaff head coach of the Detroit Pistons reacts against the Boston Celtics at Little Caesars Arena on October 26, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.
Despite the end to their surprising season, coach JB Bickerstaff didn’t feel disappointed about the Detroit Pistons’ Game 7 loss. Bickerstaff told reporters after the game that the team should be viewed in a positive light even though they failed to make the Eastern Conference Finals.
“Anything other than positivity toward this group is unacceptable,” Bickerstaff said, via Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “The turnaround from where we’ve come from, what the guys have been willing to do … everybody wants to win a championship every year. We put ourselves in position to be here, so there’s nothing disappointing about this group.”
The Pistons won 60 games for the first time since 2006, a massive achievement for a team that had 14 wins the season before Bickerstaff took over as coach. Cade Cunningham turned into an MVP candidate, earning two first-place votes.
Jalen Duren also had a breakout year, but he had his shortcomings in his first postseason. He’ll be a restricted free agent, so the Pistons have some decisions to make this summer.
Nevertheless, their main priority should be to find another star to pair with Cunningham, as per Sam Quinn of CBS Sports.
JB Bickerstaff Signed an Extension Recently
GettyHead coach J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons reacts against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.
After a hard-fought first-round series against the Orlando Magic, the Detroit Pistons awarded JB Bickerstaff with a contract extension. The details of the new contract were not released, but it’s meant to keep Bickerstaff in Detroit for a long time, as reported by The Athletic.
Bickerstaff has been in charge of the Pistons since 2024 and is in his fourth team since becoming a head coach in 2015. He spent one season with the Houston Rockets, two with the Memphis Grizzlies and five with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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