With 25% of the regular season in the books, the Detroit Pistons stand in first place in the Eastern Conference at 17-5 thanks to a concerted focus on points in the paint, second-chance points, fast break points and points off turnovers. These categories, which all could be described as effort-oriented plays, have allowed for the Pistons to put together their franchise-tying 13-game winning streak last month, and it’s become a crucial piece of the team’s identity. 

This season, the Pistons rank in the top eight for all of those stats, claiming a No. 1 position for points in the paint. Detroit has absolutely dominated teams in the low post during the 2025-26 campaign, and scoring in the lane has become a vital approach for head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad. 

But against the Milwaukee Bucks on the road last night, the Pistons ditched that strategy in favor of a half-court offense that stalled towards the end of the fourth quarter. Detroit had built up an 18-point lead at one stage of the game, but that advantage withered away in the final frame, and the Bucks eventually managed a four-point victory over their Central Division rivals.

Bickerstaff Calls Out Defense As Main Reason For Loss To Milwaukee Bucks The Detroit Pistons deviated from their identity on Wednesday night and it cost them against the Bucks

In a head-to-head comparison, the Pistons only picked up eight points on the fast break all game long, which is drastically lower than the squad’s season average of 16.8 fast break points per game. In terms of points in the paint, the Bucks actually held a six-point edge at 46-40, so the Pistons were unable to dominate in an area that they typically control. Additionally, the Bucks recorded 22 points off turnovers to the Pistons’ 12, so Detroit lost the turnover battle as well since Milwaukee was able to capitalize on those extra possessions. 

After the game, Bickerstaff called out the Pistons’ defense as the primary culprit for giving up such a big lead late in the game, and there is merit to that analysis. In the fourth quarter, Detroit allowed Milwaukee to score 35 points to go on top of a 29-point effort from the Bucks in the third quarter. With such an offensive explosion for the Pistons’ opponents in the second half, the Bucks were able to methodically erase Detroit’s lead and closed out the game at home in the final seconds. 

READ MORE: Cade Crumbles In Clutch, Giannis Injured: Pistons Suffer 113-109 Loss To Milwaukee Bucks

Now, the Pistons did not have a particularly strong shooting performance from the floor, so that deserves a little bit of spotlight for Detroit’s remarkable inefficiency. Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris took the most shots for the Pistons with 15 and 14 attempts respectively, and both shot under 50%. Cunningham had the poorest shooting night with a 5-for-15 effort to show for it. After that, Caris LeVert hoisted up 10 shots and only connected on a single attempt, then Ron Holland had another 10 shots with only two going through the rim. So, several members of the Pistons’ squad struggled to shoot against the Bucks’ zone defense, and that’s an approach that Detroit will need to find a gameplan for sooner rather than later.

Now, Detroit entered the game without Duncan Robinson, who is far and away the team’s best three-point shooter, and that plagued the Pistons against the Bucks’ zone defense. The general way to counter a zone is to take the open shots that will inevitably be given, but Robinson’s absence likely played a role in what was a poor shooting night from the Pistons. 

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