Bickerstaff Decries Free-Throw Gap After Pistons’ Game 4 Loss to Cavaliers
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The Detroit Pistons fell 112-103 to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, evening their second-round series at two games apiece as the matchup shifts back to Detroit.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff attributed the Game 4 defeat largely to a pronounced free-throw imbalance. Cleveland converted 30 of 34 attempts at the line, while Detroit went 9 for 12.
“It’s unacceptable,” Bickerstaff said, according to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “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.”
The coach’s remark referenced Donovan Mitchell, who attempted 15 free throws—making 13—on his way to 39 second-half points, tying a playoff record. Mitchell had scored just four points before intermission.
Bickerstaff stressed that Detroit is “not a jump-shooting team” and routinely attacks the paint, adding, “You look at the foul count, you look at the disparity, and that’s hard to overcome.”
The shift followed public comments from Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson after Game 2, when Detroit had taken 55 free throws to Cleveland’s 43. Atkinson said his club needed to protect the ball against the Pistons’ physical defense if the series became a “clutch and grab and hold” contest.
Despite the officiating concerns, Pistons star Cade Cunningham—limited to three free-throw attempts—insisted the calls were not the sole reason for the loss. “The free-throw disparity definitely doesn’t help,” he said, noting he “realized early on it was going to be one of those nights” after a no-call on a first-quarter drive.
The series resumes with Game 5 in Detroit.
Source: Hoops Rumors
