The defensive effort from the Pistons pair did not go unnoticed.
Although the Pistons fell four points short of completing an improbable late-game comeback against the Bulls in the season opener, Detroit did have a few bright spots in its loss to Chicago. Primarily, the Pistons tightened up on defense in the second half, even tying the contest in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, and much of that comeback hinged on the aggressiveness of Ron Holland II and Isaiah Stewart.
By the night’s end, Stewart logged 20 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and two assists in just 25 minutes on the court. Holland, on the other hand, posted 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 27 minutes on the night.
Both coming off the bench, Stewart made an impact early on with a couple buckets and rebounds in the first quarter. Jalen Duren had to sit down after just a few minutes after a quick start due to foul trouble, and Stewart filled his place with authority.
But despite Stewart’s force in the paint, the Pistons fell into a sizable hole late in the first quarter, and the Bulls were hitting shots at an alarming rate. Detroit was able to cut Chicago’s lead down to 15 points at the end of the first half, and that itself underscores how the Bulls were in control for the first two quarters. From that point, the Pistons knew the intensity needed to be increased at halftime.
“The conversation in the locker room at half time, we knew what we needed to do, so that was just that mindset going into the second half,” Holland said after the game. “Our mindset with this team is like we live off grit, so we don’t want to ever change up what we do for anybody and we continue to be us no matter what’s going on. That was just our mindset going out trying to do it collectively.”
During the third quarter, Holland helped spark a turnaround for the Pistons with his physicality and active hands in the passing lanes. Holland was quick to run the floor, and that high-octane mentality helped Detroit keep the contest within striking distance.
“Turning up the aggression,” Holland said of his impact. “I feel like I did that a lot, and it caused them to lose the ball a lot and we were able to keep converting into getting some transition, which is what this team really thrives on. So, from there, I feel like we made plays, and we were able to give ourselves a chance tonight.”
Both Holland and Stewart demonstrated the type of relentless effort that Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is demanding this season, and Detroit star point guard Cade Cunningham took notice of those performances after the game.
“He was big time,” Cunningham said of Stewart. “That’s what he does. He’s one of the best in the league at the rim, so he made a lot of impact plays for us. Ron made a lot of plays for us, getting us in transition. We just needed to make a stand on the defensive end, and they helped us do that.”
Now in his sixth season with the Pistons, Stewart has built a reputation as one of the team’s foremost defensive presences, and that level of aggressiveness is what Cunningham has seen seep into his teammates, including Holland.
“He’s definitely been getting better and better every day with how good his jump shot looks and how good just his playmaking looks,” Cunningham said of Holland. “Even last year, he would come in and change games with his effort, with his energy, so I think today was just a continuation of that.”
The Pistons will have a day off before facing the Houston Rocks on the road at 8 pm on Friday, Oct. 24.
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