Tobias Harris delivered a direct message to the Detroit Pistons after their losing streak reached four games Sunday, saying the locker room understands what is at stake and expects to come out of it.
"In the locker room, it's not a joking-around mentality," Harris told reporters after Detroit's 121-110 loss to the Miami Heat. "We know we're supposed to win, but we know that we put the work and time into it. So things are going to work in our favor. We'll figure it out, and we'll be right back on a winning streak and ready for the playoffs."
The skid has cut Detroit's lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference from 5.5 games to 2.5. It is the first time all season the Pistons have lost more than two games in a row. Three of the four defeats came against Cleveland, San Antonio and Miami. Saturday's loss to Brooklyn was the lone outlier.
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Earlier in the week, Harris had called it the team's stiffest test of the season.
"Obviously, it's probably our biggest dose of adversity all year," he said. "We'll be fine. Keep our heads high and just on to the next. But along this way, let's figure out ways that we can be better as a group."
Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said he views the stretch as a necessary part of the process as the team seeks to learn amid championship aspirations.
"I give our guys a ton of credit for being where we are right now," Bickerstaff said. "This is the first time, really, this year, that we've hit somewhat of a bump in the road, and it's good for us. The adversity is good for us. It's only going to bring us tighter together. This group has proven that. There's just opportunity for growth, opportunities for lessons, and we'll be just fine."
Harris, averaging 13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 47 games this season, managed just nine points on three of six shooting in 24 minutes against Miami — a microcosm of how the team has struggled collectively during the stretch.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren combined for 50 points against Miami, but Detroit's defense has been the primary concern. The Pistons ranked second in the league defensively for most of the season and have fallen to 25th during the losing streak, surrendering 120 or more points twice against Miami and San Antonio.
Detroit has won 45 games with 19 remaining, on pace for the franchise's first 50-win season since 2008. Two years ago, the Pistons finished 14-68. With Boston closing fast and the playoffs a month away, how Detroit responds over the next few weeks will go a long way toward defining what this team actually is.
