Cunningham explodes after Detroit Pistons elimination: "The game was shit"

The elimination of the Detroit Pistons in the seventh game against the Cleveland Cavaliers left a strong emotional burden in the locker room, with Cade Cunningham and J. B. Bickerstaff as the main voices after the defeat at the Little Caesars Arena.

With the game already decided and the team trailing by 34 points with 5:51 remaining, Cunningham was substituted between free throws as the crowd left the arena. The All-Star guard bid farewell one by one to his teammates on the bench and his coach before finally sitting down after a modest 13-point performance.

“That game was shit," said Cunningham bluntly. "Being at home, obviously we wanted to win for the fans. It reminded me of last year, losing at home. It's not a great feeling”.

The guard also acknowledged the immediate impact of the elimination on his planning: “I hadn't been thinking about the offseason, so now my mind is spinning, trying to figure out what I have to do and how it's all going to be. That's basically where I’m at”.

Despite the blow, Cunningham tried to put the Pistons' season into perspective, as they reached this point as the top seed. “Obviously, it's a disappointing series. We didn’t do enough of the right things to win it,” he explained. “But we were number 1 for a reason. We won a lot of games this year. We played great basketball and established an identity we hadn't had in a long time”.

“All those things are positives that we take into the summer to come back next year and keep growing,” he added.

Bickerstaff, positive despite the elimination

On the other side, coach J. B. Bickerstaff wanted to protect his team's work despite the tough elimination: “It is not a letdown at all. And I will never be disappointed with these guys. Every day they gave us what they had. It's not a letdown, it's a loss, a tough loss, but that adjective will never be used with this group”.

There was also room for reactions from other players, like Ausar Thompson, who ended with five points and took in the pain of the outcome. “No, I'm not going to forget it. I'm not going to forget it. That series felt personal,” he affirmed. “I'm not going to forget it. I remember”.