J.B. Bickerstaff calls out officiating after Pistons' Game 4 loss

By the end of Game 4, Donovan Mitchell had more free throw attempts than the Pistons had as a team. And Cleveland had evened the Eastern Conference semifinals at two games apiece.

The Cavaliers got 34 free throws to 12 for the Pistons, despite taking the majority of their shots from behind the arc.

"It's unacceptable. It is," Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after Detroit's 112-103 loss. "We didn't do enough, obviously, to help ourselves, and I'll start there. But ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed. There's no way that one guy on their team shoots more free throws than our team. We're not a settle team. We're not a jump shooting team. We drive the ball, attack the paint. What was done out there tonight, it's frustrating, but we can't allow that to be the reason why, because we didn't play well enough to play to the best of our capabilities.

"But again, you look at the foul count, you look at the disparity, that's hard to overcome, and you wonder the reason why. It's interesting, since [Cavaliers coach] Kenny [Atkinson] made his comments publicly about us, the whistle's changed in this series."

The free throw disparity over the first two games of the series in Detroit favored the Pistons by 12, including 35-16 in Game 1. Detroit's identity is tied to playing physically on defense. Mitchell said after attempting just two free throws in Game 1 that he might have to start flopping to draw more fouls. And Atkinson told reporters before Game 3 in Cleveland that the way the Pistons play is "completely within how the game's being called today."

"So if it's a clutch and grab and hold game and there's not a lot of freedom of movement, we have to find a way to get separation," he said. "If they're going to chuck and swipe, you've got to be able to protect the ball."

The free throw disparity since favors the Cavs by 28. The different whistle, said Bickerstaff, "makes it difficult" for the Pistons to play their physical brand of basketball.

"It's interesting, again, I'll say the difference on each side of the ball. You can go back and watch it yourself, but watch when Duncan Robinson tries to come off screens, the amount of hands on him, and the whistles weren't being blown," Bickerstaff said. "So again, we'll go back, we'll watch it, we'll send the clips into the league, we'll see what it is.

"But we have to play better," Bickerstaff added. "We can be in our system and be physical in our system without fouling, do a better job of being early to help, early in position, showing our hands, all those things that we need to do a better job of, and hopefully that will eliminate some of those things."

The Cavs swung Game 4 by opening the second half on a 22-0 run, turning a 56-52 deficit into a 74-56 lead. They led by at least eight the rest of the way. The Pistons had another sloppy night with the basketball, committing 20 turnovers after committing 16 in Game 3.

"They came out and played with more force and tenacity than we did to start the (third quarter)," said Bickerstaff. "We had a four-point lead and they came out very aggressive on both ends of the floor, and we just didn't match it."

The Pistons' best player has not played well the past two games. Cade Cunningham went 17-for-43 from the field in Games 3 and 4, with 13 turnovers. He also shot 10 fewer free throws than he had in Games 1 and 2 in Detroit. Cunningham said he "realized early on it was going to be one of those type of nights" with the officials.

"I got hit on my arm early. I didn't get a whistle. Everybody didn't want to look at me after that," he said. "I kind of knew what it was."

Cunningham also acknowledged that "it's part of the game," especially in the playoffs. "It's going to be hard when you're on the road."

"The best part about it is, it's now a three-game series and we got two of them in Detroit," said Bickerstaff. "So we gotta make sure we go home and take care of our business."