DALLAS — After their overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, Dec. 18, the Detroit Pistons couldn’t hide their frustrations – most notably with the officiating.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff made it clear during his press conference after the 116-114 loss in overtime at American Airlines Center.
Advertisement
The Pistons were whistled for four technical fouls, while the Mavericks took zero. That included two for Ausar Thompson. who was ejected for the first time in his career – automatically, per NBA rules, following making contact with referee John Goble following an exchange with 5:09 remaining in the second quarter.
Goble also whistled Cade Cunningham for a tech with 24 seconds before the half, and Bickerstaff was hit with one shortly before the second half started.
Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff talks with guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.
THIRSDAY’S ACTION: Daniss Jenkins sparks rally but Detroit Pistons fall in OT to Dallas
Bickerstaff took issue with his technical foul, saying he was getting Cunningham off the floor. More importantly, he believed the referee was biased entering the game.
Advertisement
“First of all, let’s address that,” Bickerstaff said when asked about the officiating in the first half. “Let’s address that. A referee makes a comment to me about night-by-night, this is how our interactions are. That says to me that the referee is coming into the game not being objective, OK? You look at the play, that same referee at halftime, I get my technical foul, I don’t say anything to him, I go to grab Cade to get Cade off the floor. He gives me a technical foul. That’s my job to get my player away from the ref and get us back to halftime so we can have the conversations that we need to have.”
Bickerstaff also took issue with Thompson’s ejection, which occurred after he wrapped up Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard under the rim and was whistled for a foul. Thompson got in Goble’s face to complain about the call and was tossed soon afger. NBA rules say it’s an auto-ejection when a player initiates contact, but Bickerstaff said Goble initiated the contact after Thompson got close to him.
“The same referee who came into the game who’s not objective and then he goes out and makes those calls, the same referee if you take a look at the play where he ejects AT, he steps toward AT,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s where the minimal contact happens where he steps towards him and initiates it. To me, and I want to make this clear, this game is not about the referees. This was a highly contested game by two really competitive teams and guys who laid it out on the line.
Advertisement
LOOKING AHEAD: 3 needs − and 5 targets − Pistons can explore at NBA trade deadline
“You had one guy who wanted to make the game about the referees when that’s not what this should’ve been,” he continued. “This was two teams competing their tails off, playing high-level basketball. Anybody who comes into the game and says ‘night-by-night,’ he clearly has an unobjective point of view. We don’t care about how people referee us, we’re going to play physical, we walk that line, but all we’re asking for is fairness. And if you come into the game with something already on your mind, then you’re obviously going to have an impact on how you referee the game.”
The officiating resulted in some other unbalanced results: After three quarters, Dallas had a 30-12 advantage in free throw attempts. The final tally was closer, though not quite even, after the Pistons had more attempts (8-4) in the fourth; Detroit finished with 20 attempts at the line (with 12 makes) while Dallas had 36 (with 31 makes).
The final issue Bickerstaff had involved a whistle that wasn’t blown. During the final 10 seconds of overtime, with the Pistons down two, Jalen Duren came up with a pair of offensive rebounds. Bickerstaff said he called a timeout that wasn’t awarded.
Advertisement
But the Mavericks were awarded a timeout with 0.9 seconds left after Anthony Davis corralled a defensive rebound away from Duren. The Pistons immediately fouled on the other end, with one to give, and Daniss Jenkins stole the second inbounds pass. But with 0.6 seconds left, Jenkins didn’t have enough time to dribble upcourt and get a shot off.
“JD got the offensive board, I called timeout,” Bickerstaff said. “That same referee is standing next to me, does not award me the timeout.
With that, Bickerstaff concluded his press conference.
“Y’all have a good one.”
[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Follow the Pistons all year long with the best reporting at freep.com/sports/pistons.
Advertisement
Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook. (@detroitfreepress).
Next up: Hornets
Matchup: Pistons (21-6) vs. Charlotte (9-18).
Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons coach rips referees after loss to Dallas Mavericks