J.B. Bickerstaff has had enough.
The Detroit Pistons head coach went off on the referees after the team’s 113-107 loss to the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday for handing them a whopping five technical fouls in the third quarter.
Two of those were given to star guard Cade Cunningham, who was ejected after an extended argument with officials with less than 48 seconds left in the quarter.
“I’m disgusted by the way that game was officiated,” Bickerstaff said. “The level of disrespect was above and beyond. [The Thunder] have a guy fall down and trip on his own teammate’s foot, they review us for a hostile act. They throw an elbow to our chest and neck area, I ask for them to at least take a look at [a replay], just show us the respect to take a look at it. … No one would take a look at it.
“The disrespect has gone far enough, and I’m not going to allow our guys to be treated the way they were tonight.”
Crew chief Brian Forte explained why Cunningham was ejected.
“Cunningham was given his first technical foul for disrespectfully addressing an official with profanity,” Forte told a pool reporter after the game. “After the free throw for the first technical was shot, Cade continued to use profanity toward the official and received his second technical foul and was ejected.”
Bickerstaff received one of the five technicals, all of which netted the Thunder points as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 5-for-5 on the technical free throws.
“I coach my ass off in a passionate way. I’m into the game, our players are into the games. We understand that. But we deserve a level of respect because we’re competing our tails off and bringing something positive to this league. We’re growing young players, our young players are competing their tails off. The least that they could do is get the same respect that everybody else in this league gets and get refereed the same way that everybody else in this league gets reffed,” Bickerstaff said while raising his voice and pounding the table.
“Enough is enough of it. And what you saw tonight was disgusting. It was a disgusting display of disrespect towards our guys and what we’re trying to do.”
Bickerstaff then crumpled up a piece of paper, threw it, stood up and left the room.
The 46-year-old is in his first season as the Pistons’ head coach after being fired by the Cavaliers last May following a second-round playoff exit.
At 37-31, Detroit has already won its most games in a season since 2018-19, which marks the last time they made the playoffs; they were swept by the Bucks in the first round after finishing the season 41-41.
The Pistons currently own the No. 6 seed in the East, which would put them on a collision course with the Knicks in the first round. They’re a game behind the Pacers for fifth and two games behind the Bucks for fourth.
