The Pistons took an alternative approach to practice before facing the Lakers, but the result was a dominant 22-point win
Heading into the Pistons final game of 2025, a road contest against the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit appeared to be in a bit of a funk. After dropping two consecutive games to West Coast teams under .500, the Pistons’ usual defensive intensity was lacking, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff sought out a spark for his squad.
Bickerstaff has been around the game for over 20 years, and he’s picked up a few tricks during his time on the sidelines, and the Pistons coach dipped into his memory bank for a creative way to get Detroit into a new frame of mind.
“We played soccer. That's what we did,” Bickerstaff said after the Pistons’ 128-106 win over the Lakers. “We played soccer on UCLA’s campus. It was a time where you lose a couple in a row and people can get a little bit down and start thinking about it, but we haven't seen the sunshine in I don't know how long, so we just went outside and had a good time playing.”
As Bickerstaff said, the Eastern Conference’s top squad took to the pitch for a different team game but one with similar objectives. From a strategy standpoint, soccer involves ball movement, timing runs, spatial awareness, off-ball movement and constant teamwork. These qualities apply to basketball as well, but in a much different format, and that’s what Bickerstaff was hoping to impart upon his team.
“But the similarities between the game was great for our guys to see,” Bickerstaff said. “The way we moved the ball when we were playing soccer, the way we advanced the ball when we were playing, the cuts, the reads we were making. Like, it was great for our guys to see that, and then it translates to the game of basketball.”
From an application perspective, the dynamic training activity seemed to pay dividends for the Pistons in what was a 22-point road win over the Lakers, who are currently nestled into a playoff position in the Western Conference. So, the Pistons picked up a big win away from home against a quality team on LeBron James’ 41st birthday, and an unheralded member of Detroit’s bench showcased his best performance of the 2025-26 season so far as Marcus Sasser scored 19 points with five assists to boot against Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
According to Sasser, the Pistons third-year guard says that the soccer activities a day prior were helpful in the leadup to the Lakers game.
“I think it was just fun,” Sasser said. “It was kind of to get away from the game, but there was a lesson behind it– the way we advance the ball, share the ball. Playing soccer, it was like a team-sport thing, so we kind of carried that over to today’s game. Just moving the ball, playing faster. I think it was a good experience to get off the court and have some team bonding outside the basketball court.”
The Pistons obviously performed well on the hardwood while in Los Angeles, but which member of Detroit’s squad has the most talent on the soccer field?
“Probably JI,” Sasser said, passing some shine alone to his speedy backcourt teammate in Jaden Ivey.
The Pistons will have a day off before hosting the Miami Heat on New Years Day at 7 pm.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.