The Detroit Pistons have had their fair share of tough losses this season. But Saturday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder stung on a different level. After a frustrating 113-107 defeat, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t just vent — he exploded at the postgame presser, slamming the table, tossing papers, and storming off mid-rant.
The reason? Officiating that he called “disgusting” and “disrespectful” to his young team.
J.B. Bickerstaff Furious at the ‘Disrespect’ From the Officials
Detroit fought hard to keep things close against an elite Thunder squad led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s casual 48-point performance. But the boiling point came late in the third quarter when Cade Cunningham was ejected after a controversial sequence involving Luguentz Dort.
Dort fell (he literally tripped), but officials decided to review it as a potential hostile act. That call? Just the tip of the iceberg.
Bickerstaff, who held back his frustration during the game, let loose at the podium after the final whistle. The video went viral as Bickerstaff went all in at the postgame press conference.
“What you saw tonight was DISGUSTING!”
Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff went on a WILD rant before slamming the table, crumpling up the scoresheet and storming out of the press conference after Thunder-Pistons 😳
Sheesh.pic.twitter.com/Go97USihyC
— Cooper Jones (@CooperJNBA) March 16, 2025
“The level of disrespect was above and beyond,” Bickerstaff ranted. “They have a guy fall down and trip on his own teammate’s foot.”
His voice grew louder. His fists hit the table.
“The least they could do is get the same respect that everybody else in this league gets,” he said. “And enough is enough of it! What you saw tonight was disgusting.”
Then came the grand finale — Bickerstaff crumpled a piece of paper, hurled it at the microphone, and walked straight out of the room.
Pistons Fight But Can’t Catch a Break
As heated as the postgame presser was, the Pistons were right there in this game before things unraveled. Despite Cunningham’s early exit, Tobias Harris and Dennis Schröder tried to rally the squad, but Oklahoma City kept pulling away.
As mentioned, Gilgeous-Alexander torched Detroit for 48 points, living at the free-throw line all night, while Thunder guard Cason Wallace added 20 points and five rebounds. Detroit, on the other hand, barely got to the stripe, leading Bickerstaff to call out the free-throw disparity.
“They review us for a hostile act. They throw an elbow to our chest and neck area; I ask them to at least take a look at it. Just show us the respect to take a look at it. O.K. No one would take a look at it.”
The Pistons, now on a two-game skid, will try to shake off this brutal loss. Bickerstaff, meanwhile, is almost guaranteed to be hearing from the league office after that explosion.