J.B. Bickerstaff Sounds Off After Controversial Pistons Loss to Mavericks: “One Guy Made It About the Referees”
Thursday night’s Pistons-Mavericks matchup had all the ingredients of a gritty, competitive NBA showdown-overtime drama, clutch plays, and two teams refusing to back down. But after the final buzzer sounded on Detroit’s 116-114 loss, the conversation quickly shifted from the hardwood to the officiating crew.
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t hold back postgame, calling out what he saw as a lack of objectivity from one official in particular. While he didn’t mention names directly, the incidents he described involved crew chief John Goble-and Bickerstaff made it clear he felt the ref’s presence loomed too large over the game.
“A referee makes a comment to me about, ‘Night by night, this is how our interactions are,’” Bickerstaff said. “So that says to me that the referee is coming into the game not being objective.”
That’s a serious accusation-suggesting that a referee came into the game with a preconceived bias. And according to Bickerstaff, it didn’t stop at words. He pointed to a first-half technical foul he received as further proof that something was off.
The moment in question came just before halftime. Cade Cunningham had just picked up a technical after a conversation with official Suyash Mehta.
As Bickerstaff moved in to pull Cunningham away-standard coach behavior in a heated moment-he was hit with a tech himself by Goble. Bickerstaff said he didn’t say anything to warrant it.
“That’s my job-to get my player away from the referee, get us back to halftime so we can have the conversations we need to have,” Bickerstaff said. “So the same referee who comes into the game as not objective, and then he goes out and makes those calls.”
Goble later explained in a pool report that Bickerstaff was assessed the technical for “continuous complaining.” But the coach clearly saw it differently-and he wasn’t done.
Earlier in the second quarter, Pistons rookie wing Ausar Thompson was ejected after making contact with Goble. The footage shows Thompson walking toward the official during a stoppage, and while the contact appears minimal, Goble wasted no time tossing him from the game.
“That same referee, if you take a look at the play where he ejects A.T., he steps toward A.T.,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s where the minimal contact happens-where he steps towards him and initiates it.”
Bickerstaff’s frustration boiled over again in the final seconds of overtime. With 3.5 seconds left and Detroit down two, Jalen Duren came down with an offensive rebound.
Bickerstaff said he immediately tried to call a timeout-but didn’t get the whistle. According to him, Goble was standing right next to him and ignored the request.
That missed opportunity loomed large as the Pistons failed to get a final shot off in time.
Still, Bickerstaff made a point to emphasize that this wasn’t about blaming the refs for the loss. He praised both teams for their effort and intensity, calling it a “highly contested game” between two squads that “laid it out on the line.” But he also said what happened with the officiating couldn’t be ignored.
“I want to make this clear: This game is not about the referees,” Bickerstaff said. “But the object-it needs to be addressed with what happened on the floor tonight.
You have one guy who wanted to make the game about the referees. And that’s not what this should’ve been.”
The Pistons, who’ve been battling through a tough season, showed plenty of fight against one of the West’s top teams. But for Bickerstaff, the lingering takeaway wasn’t just the final score-it was the feeling that one official’s presence altered the tone of the game.
And in a league that prides itself on fairness, transparency, and accountability, that’s a conversation that won’t be going away anytime soon.