DETROIT – Following a disappointing 113-107 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, the Pistons’ head coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, expressed his frustration over the officiating, highlighting the third quarter as a significant point of contention due to five technical fouls called against his team. During an intense 48-second span, Pistons player Cade Cunningham was handed two technical fouls, resulting in his ejection, while Dennis Schroder also faced a technical foul. The punitive actions were the result of both players expressing their discontent with the referees’ decisions.
“I am absolutely appalled by how that game was managed by the officials,” Bickerstaff stated. “The level of disrespect exhibited was intolerable. There was an instance where a player tripped over his own teammate’s foot, yet we were investigated for a hostile act. They elbow us in the chest and neck, and when I request a video review, it’s disregarded. Nobody was willing to examine the footage.”
Bickerstaff emphasized his unwillingness to accept such treatment and asserted his resolve to ensure his players are treated with fairness and respect.
Following the match, crew chief Brian Forte addressed the situation regarding the technicals issued to Cunningham. “Cunningham was assessed his first technical foul for disrespectfully shouting profanity at an official,” Forte explained. “After a free throw was taken for that first technical, he continued to direct profanities towards the official, leading to his second technical and subsequent ejection.”
Forte also noted that Schroder’s technical foul was due to persistent complaints following a prior team warning issued to Detroit during the second quarter.
