DETROIT – Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff blasted the officials after Detroit was called for five technical fouls in the third quarter of a 113-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.
During one 48-second stretch, Cade Cunningham picked up two technicals and was ejected and Dennis Schroder was also hit with a technical. Both players were assessed the fouls for arguing with the officials.
“I’m disgusted by the way that game was officiated,” Bickerstaff said. “The level of disrespect was above and beyond. They 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 to at least take a look at it (on video). … 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 was asked by the pool reporter after the game about the technical fouls on Cunningham.
“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 toward the official and received his second technical foul and was ejected.”
As for Schroder, Forte said he “was given a technical foul for continuous complaining after Detroit was given a team warning in the second period.”
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