J.B. Bickerstaff was not happy with the whistle after the Pistons' Game 4 loss to the Cavaliers. Cleveland won 112-103 to even the series at 2-2, but Bickerstaff felt the officiating played too big a role in the result.
His main frustration came from the free-throw numbers, with Donovan Mitchell attempting 15 free throws by himself while Detroit took only 12 as a team. For Bickerstaff, that gap was hard to ignore, and he made it clear afterward that he felt the whistle had changed since the series moved to Cleveland.
While speaking to the media following the game, Bickerstaff did not mince his words. He said, "It's unacceptable ... ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed. You know, there's no way that one guy on their team shoots more free throws than our team."
A Closer Look at Game 4 Between the Pistons and Cavs
Cleveland looked like it was in trouble at halftime, then Donovan Mitchell completely changed the game.
The Cavaliers came out of the break with a different level of energy and beat the Pistons 112-103, evening the series at 2-2. Mitchell was the story of the night, finishing with 43 points and putting together a ridiculous second half where he scored 39. That matched an NBA playoff record and gave Cleveland exactly the kind of star performance it needed.
Detroit had done well to take control before halftime. Caris LeVert gave the Pistons a big lift with 24 points, and Cade Cunningham was involved, even though Cleveland did a better job keeping him from fully taking over.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) is interviewed after the Cavaliers game four win against the Detroit Pistons. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
But the third quarter changed everything. The Cavaliers ripped off a huge run, turned defensive stops into easy offense, and suddenly Detroit was the team scrambling. Mitchell kept attacking, Harden steadied the offense with 24 points and 11 assists, and Evan Mobley made life difficult around the rim with his defense.
By the fourth quarter, Cleveland had created enough separation to survive Detroit's push. The Cavs are still perfect at home in the playoffs, but now they have to carry that momentum back to Detroit. Game 5 suddenly feels like the swing game of the series.
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