Right now, the Detroit Pistons are red hot and have won four straight games on the bounce to sit at 6-2 on the year, which is the team’s best record after eight games since the 2008-09 season. 

Now, the road to the No. 2 position in the Eastern Conference (despite the small sample size) has not been a completely smooth ride for Detroit. Often, the Pistons have had to mount a comeback before ultimately snatching victory at the end of games, and the team’s win over Utah on Wednesday offered a similar script, though Detroit notched a comfortable 11-point victory thanks to an offensive explosion from star guard Cade Cunningham in the fourth quarter.

In the second quarter, the Pistons fell into a prolonged offensive lull, and that allowed the Jazz to gain the upper hand momentarily. However, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated that was a turning point for his squad after the game.

“We understood what we had to do that first half,” Bickerstaff said. “We weren't satisfied with the way that we defended. We knew we were capable of more, and you know, that was the tone at halftime was and we just got to go out. We got to play Pistons basketball, right? The first half, we kind of messed around with the game a little bit on the defensive end. They've got good offensive players, so if you do that, they're capable of keeping up with you, staying in the game. But I thought we did a great job setting the tone.”

Pistons Center Jalen Duren Puts NBA On Notice With 22 Points And 22 Rebounds In Win Over Utah The Detroit Pistons are currently riding a four-game winning streak

More often than not, Cunningham has been the go-to scorer down the stretch for the Pistons this year, and he delivered during the clutch last night once again, scoring 19 points in the final quarter for the second straight time. In fact, Cunningham became only the third player in the last five seasons to accomplish that late-game scoring feat. 

“He's phenomenal,” Bickerstaff said. “He's an unbelievable player, unbelievable person, great teammate, great leader. Everything you want in a number one guy, Cade’s it.”

Coming off an All-Star selection last year, Cunningham is already making the case for a repeat appearance by averaging 24.5 points and 9.6 assists per game this season. And while his counting numbers are still among the league leaders at the point guard position, the biggest improvement to Cunningham’s game looks to be in the turnover department as he’s been trafficking in much cleaner, efficient basketball as of late. 

“I think this year, he's being much more deliberate with his passes, understanding what's there and living in the moment and understands how that one turnover can impact so much it can be a momentum shift,” Bickerstaff said. “So, I think he's done a great job of maintaining himself in the moment and just making a simple read.”

Now in his fifth season, Cunningham has watched the game slow down over the years, and he’s grown to become one of the most versatile guards in the entire NBA with his dynamic skill set. As Cunningham cut his turnovers down, the Pistons have moved closer to playing mistake-free basketball, which is the goal Bickerstaff has set for his players. 

Currently, the Pistons are near the top of the Eastern Conference, and they’ve had to battle injury troubles along the way with Tobias Harris, Caris LeVert, Marcus Sasser and Jaden Ivey all missing time this season. However, Cunningham has kept control of the squad, and he’s been leading Detroit to victory night in and night out as of late.

Next, the Pistons will travel to Brooklyn for a game against the Nets on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 pm.

For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage.