The Detroit Pistons missed a golden opportunity to prove their worth as one of the top teams in the NBA on Saturday as they dropped a close game to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luegentz Dort and the rest of Mark Daigneault's Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Pistons trailed by one point at halftime only to fall behind by 14 points after three quarters. A fourth quarter rally fell short as coach Bickerstaff's squad was unable to get over the hump against a hot shooting OKC Thunder team.
Afterward, Bickerstaff had fierce words and a warning for NBA officials that he couldn't help but share with NBA media in attendance.
"I'm extremely proud of the way (we've) continued to compete...I'm disgusted with by the way that game was officiated.
"The level of disrespect was above and beyond," Bickerstaff said in an uproarious press conference.
Bickerstaff said a Thunder player tripped on his teammate's foot, leading to a bad call. He added that a Thunder player "threw an elbow" to a Pistons player's neck/chest area, a play that refs refused to review.
"I will not allow our guys to be treated the way they were treated tonight," Bickerstaff said, acknowledging the Pistons' reputation as a team that plays with a physical edge while intimating that he did not receive the same level of respect from officials that Daigneault got on Saturday.
"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH…"
"…What you saw tonight (from the refs) was DISGUSTING!"
Pistons Coach JB Bickerstaff went off: pic.twitter.com/TYpqQ997tc
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) March 16, 2025
Related: Detroit Pistons Respond to Shaquille O'Neal's Disrespect by Taking a Shot
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This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 10:35 PM.