J.B. Bickerstaff calls the Pistons’ defense ‘terrible’ after Cade Cunningham’s 52 saves a 144-140 double-overtime win: ‘Everything was bad’

Cade Cunningham scored 52 points without a turnover, and the Detroit Pistons won 144-140 in double overtime in Washington on Thursday. J.B. Bickerstaff still did not like what he saw at the other end of the floor. Asked how he rated the night defensively, the Pistons coach said, “It was bad. We were terrible. We were not to our standard defensively.” Asked if anything in particular stood out, he said, “Everything was bad.”

JB on Cade: “The more you’re around him, the more you respect him for who he is and what his abilities are.”

JB on their defense: “It was bad. It was terrible. We were not to our standard defensively.”

Anything in particular?

“Everything was bad.” pic.twitter.com/uyeZ7PsJIF

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) November 13, 2026

Detroit came into the game allowing 104.6 points a game through 10 games, and the most any team had scored against it this season was 121, by the Lakers on Nov. 8. Washington matched that 121 in regulation and finished with 140. The Wizards shot 49% from the field, made 14 threes, had 33 assists and scored 62 points in the paint, 10 more than Detroit. They also had 14 offensive rebounds.

‘We made too many mistakes’

Bickerstaff said he told the players he was proud of how they hung on, but that they should not have needed two overtimes. “I told the guys that I was proud of their resolve and I respect their resolve,” he said. “But we made too many mistakes to put ourselves in that position. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. And in certain moments where we have to be able to generate a stop, we got to be able to trust each other. Tonight, I thought we made too many mistakes in those moments.” Asked what went wrong on those possessions, he said, “We didn’t pay attention to the details.”

The late possessions showed it. Kyshawn George’s three gave Washington a 118-117 lead with 32.5 seconds left in regulation, and after Cunningham’s free throws put Detroit up 121-118 with 1.8 seconds left, Trae Young hit a 29-foot three with 1.1 seconds to go to force overtime. In the first overtime, the Wizards scored the first seven points, and rookie AJ Dybantsa’s pull-up tied it 132-132 with 2.8 seconds left. Young finished with 37 points and 14 assists, Anthony Davis had 30 points and 15 rebounds, and Alex Sarr scored 30 on 12-of-14 shooting.

Cunningham: ‘A lot for us to learn’

Cunningham called his own game “the best I’ve ever done it in my NBA career, for sure,” but he agreed with his coach about the defense. “I think there’s a lot for us to learn from this game,” he said. “We didn’t do the job that we want to do as far as controlling the ball and dictating their offense the way we usually do. They got loose on us a lot and they made us pay for it.”

Cade: “It was the best I’ve ever done it in my NBA career, for sure.” pic.twitter.com/9J2smXNSng

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) November 13, 2026

He said the problem was carrying out the plan, not the plan itself. “There’s things that we need to execute better. The game plan was there,” he said. “We just didn’t execute it at the highest level that we’re capable of. So we’ll talk about it, watch the film and get better from it. But I thought the effort and attention was there from everybody.”

Thompson and Reed carried the other end

Detroit played without center Jalen Duren, who is out with a hamstring strain, and Paul Reed gave it 38 minutes off the bench with 13 points and 11 rebounds. He was +25, the best mark on either team. “I thought he gave us a great lift on both ends of the floor,” Bickerstaff said. “His energy’s infectious, he plays so hard. He makes so many things happen.”

Ausar Thompson had the first triple-double of his career with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, plus three steals and three blocks. “We want to put the ball in his hands. We want him to be attack-minded,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s a complete player.” Cunningham said Thompson “defends at the highest level you can find.”

What’s next

The Pistons are 8-3 and have won two in a row, both against Washington. They visit the 5-6 Miami Heat on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. ET, which is 3 a.m. Sunday in Cairo, and then play at San Antonio and New Orleans next week. Our injuries page will track Duren’s status.