Detroit Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff voiced his frustrations with the officiating following his team’s 98-94 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
In his postgame comments, Bickerstaff highlighted what he called a “personal” impact by the referees, citing a significant free-throw disparity and questioning the consistency of calls throughout the game.
The Pistons, who improved their record to 16-18, were led by Tobias Harris’ 24-point, 10-rebound performance. Cade Cunningham added 18 points, while Jalen Duren contributed 10 points and 14 rebounds. Detroit secured its fifth win in six games with a strong defensive effort in the fourth quarter.
Charlotte’s Miles Bridges paced his team with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Mark Williams added 18 points and nine boards. However, the Hornets’ offense stalled in the final period, shooting just 21.1% from the field and committing critical turnovers.
Postgame, Bickerstaff criticized the referees for what he perceived as unfair treatment of his players. “It’s disrespectful to our guys who compete as hard as they do for people to take out their personal problems with our guys,” he said, according to Vincent Goodwill’s tweet. He urged officials to “call the game the same way all the time” and suggested the disparity in officiating affected the game’s outcome.
The Pistons attempted just 13 free throws compared to Charlotte’s 30, despite the Hornets committing 27 fouls to Detroit’s 20. Both teams struggled from the line, with the Pistons shooting 61.5% and the Hornets 63.3%. Despite the tight contest, Detroit’s resilience in the closing minutes allowed them to seal the victory.
Malik Beasley provided a spark off the bench with 12 points, stepping up in the absence of Jaden Ivey, who is sidelined with a leg injury. Wendell Moore Jr. made his first start for Detroit but went scoreless in 15 minutes, contributing on the defensive end.
For Detroit, the win reinforced their improved play over the last few weeks. Harris led by example, hitting clutch shots and making key defensive plays in crunch time. Meanwhile, Duren’s dominance on the boards provided second-chance opportunities that proved pivotal in the tightly contested matchup.
