Detroit Pistons announce extension with coach J.B. Bickerstaff
DETROIT (AP) — Pistons coach J. B. Bickerstaff has agreed to a contract extension on the heels of Detroit's first-round playoff series victory over the Orlando Magic .
Details regarding the value and length of the extension were not released by the Pistons when they announced the deal on Monday. The Pistons have gone 104-60 in regular-season games under Bickerstaff and made two playoff appearances since he took over for Monty Williams at the start of the 2024-25 season . Detroit lost in the first round a year ago.
This season, the Pistons had the best record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22 and on Sunday defeated Orlando 116-94 to close out a playoff series victory for the first time since 2008. In the fall of 2024, Bickerstaff took over a Pistons franchise that had posted the NBA's worst record in each of the previous two seasons, including a 14-68 record in 2023-24. Before Bickerstaff arrived, Detroit finished with the worst record in the NBA in consecutive seasons.
Detroit opens a second-round playoff series at home on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers — a team Bickerstaff coached from the end of the 2019-2020 season through the 2023-24 campaign. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews. com/hub/nba