Add the Detroit Pistons to the growing list of teams who’ve had problems with the referees in their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A late third-quarter chaotic episode saw several folks from Detroit’s side give the officials an earful.
After Isaiah Stewart committed a loose ball foul on Jaylin Williams fighting for a rebound, the Pistons went after the officials for the call. Cade Cunningham was hit with a technical foul. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the free-throw line to swish it in.
During the free-throw attempt, Cunningham was hit with another technical foul. That ended his game. He was ejected. Dennis Schroder was also hit with a technical foul. Add two more points to Gilgeous-Alexander’s total gifted by the Pistons’ frustrations.
All this happened after Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff was also hit with a technical foul. Egging on the Detroit crowd, fans rained down boos on the officials. Afterward, Crew Chief Brian Forte conducted a pool report to explain the sequence that resulted in three technical free-throw attempts and Cunningham’s ejection in a close contest.
On Stewart’s initial foul that sparked all this, Forte said he received it when he pushed Williams aside fighting for a rebound. That caused Williams to attempt two free throws after Gilgeous-Alexander’s technical foul free throws due to the Thunder being in the bonus.
“There was a whistle for a loose ball foul on Isaiah Stewart for dislodging Jaylin Williams during the rebound,” Forte said.
On Cunningham’s two quick technical fouls that led to an ejection, Forte said it was about the words he used to complain about the call.
“Cunningham was given his first technical foul for disrespectfully addressing an official with profanity,” Forte said. “After the free throw for the first technical was shot, Cade continued to use profanity towards the official and received his second technical foul and was ejected.”
Forte said Schroder’s technical foul was from cumulative frustration. The bench guard kept talking to the referees.
“Schroder was given a technical foul for continuous complaining after Detroit was given a team warning in the second period,” Forte said.
After the Thunder’s 113-107 win over the Pistons, Bickerstaff ranted about the perceived disrespect they received from the officials. He isn’t the first head coach who broke bad after games to complain about calls and non-calls that favored the Thunder.
