Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the referees’ “whistle has changed” after Detroit’s 112-103 Game 4 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.
Bickerstaff specifically complained postgame about the free-throw disparity after Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell attempted more free throws (15) than the Pistons did as a team (12).
“It’s unacceptable. It is,” Bickerstaff said. “We didn’t do enough obviously to help ourselves, and I’ll start there. But ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed.
“There’s no way that one guy on their team shoots more free throws than our team. We’re not a settle team. We’re not a jump-shooting team. We drive the ball, attack the paint.
“So, what was done out there tonight, it’s frustrating, but we can’t allow that to be the reason why, because we didn’t play well enough and play to the best of our capabilities.
“But again, you look at the foul count, you look at the disparity, and that’s hard to overcome, and you wonder the reason why. It’s interesting since [Cavaliers coach] Kenny [Atkinson] made his comments publicly about us, the whistles changed in this series.”
Mitchell scored 39 of his 43 points in the second half — and went 13-of-15 from the foul line — as the Cavaliers went on a 22-0 run at Rocket Arena to even the Eastern Conference semifinals series.
Bickerstaff was referring to Atkinson telling reporters before Game 3 that Detroit’s physicality affected Cleveland’s turnover slump in the first two games of the series.
“I give them a lot of credit. It’s completely within how the game’s being called today,” Atkinson said before the Cavs’ 116-109 win against the Pistons in Game 3. “So, we have to find a way. It’s a clutch and grab and hold game and there’s not a lot of freedom of movement. We have to find a way to get separation. If they’re going to chuck and swipe, you got to be at a right protective ball.”
Cleveland dropped the first two games of the series, committing 19 turnovers in Game 1 and 11 in Game 2, respectively.
Both teams recorded 15 turnovers in Game 3.
Detroit had 18 turnovers, while Cleveland recorded 13 in Game 4.
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham lamented the free-throw disparity, adding that he “didn’t get a whistle” in Game 4.
“We played two different games tonight, but it is what it is,” said Cunningham, who had 19 points and committed five turnovers. “I realized early on it was going to be one of those type of nights. I got hit on my arm early. I didn’t get a whistle. Everybody didn’t want to look at me after that. I kind of knew what it was.
“So just playing the game, we can’t allow it to get to us. That’s part of the game. The home team, you never know how it’s going to be. It’s going to be hard when you’re on the road. So just controlling our emotions, controlling what we control and playing the best brand of basketball we can play. That’s not why we lost the game, but I mean, I don’t know what was it? Twenty free throw disparity or something like that. I mean, it definitely doesn’t help.”
The series shifts back to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday.