J.B. Bickerstaff Sends Clear Message About Free Throw Disparity in Game 4

Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed his concerns about the free-throw disparity following the team's 112-103 loss to the Cavaliers.

May 9, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff argues a call with referee Courtney Kirkland (61) during the first half of game three in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

While the Cleveland Cavaliers' explosive 22-0 scoring run to begin the second half was one of many reasons the Detroit Pistons fell 112-103 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, that didn’t stop coach J.B. Bickerstaff from making his frustrations known about the free-throw disparity between the two teams on Monday night.

“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 sell team, we’re not a jump shooting team. We drive the ball attack the paint, so what was done out there tonight its 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, and that’s hard to overcome and you wonder the reason why. It’s interesting since Kenny made his comments publicly about us, the whistles changed in this series,” Bickerstaff said.

Free Throw Disparity In Game 4 Between Cavaliers and Pistons

In Detroit's Game 4 loss on Monday night, the Cavaliers had 34 free-throw attempts, making 30 of them. 13 of those made free-throw attempts came from Donovan Mitchell, which was one more than the entire Pistons team attempted in Game 4.

Mitchell went 13-of-15 from the free-throw line in the win and tied an NBA playoff record for points in a half with 39 in the second half. Mitchell helped set the tone for the Cavaliers' run to start the second half, finishing the win leading Cleveland with 43 points, five rebounds, and two assists on 13-of-26 shooting from the field.

As the series shifts back to Detroit for Game 5, it’ll be interesting to see the difference in the free-throw attempts between teams. The way this series is shaping up, the winner of Game 5 could very well win the series. The road team has yet to win a game in this series, and fourth-quarter execution will be one of the biggest keys in Game 5 and throughout the remainder of the series.

The tip-off for Game 5 on Wednesday night between the Pistons and Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET with the game broadcast on ESPN. The Cavaliers are 0-5 on the road in the postseason, and the Pistons hope that streak continues as they look to take a 3-2 series lead.

Add us as a preferred source on Google