Cade Cunningham, J.B. Bickerstaff call out no-call in Pistons’ loss to Cavaliers

After the Detroit Pistons’ devastating overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of their second-round series, which is now 3-2 in favor of the Cavaliers, Pistons star Cade Cunningham and coach J.B. Bickerstaff called out the officials over a controversial no-call in the closing seconds of regulation. 

The Pistons led by as many as 15 in the first half and looked to be on the way to victory when they pushed their lead back up to nine with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. But they failed to score in the final three minutes of the frame, and the Cavaliers stormed back to tie the game. In fact, the Cavs had a chance to win in regulation, which set up the controversial moment. 

Donovan Mitchell held the ball until the final seconds, then drove on Ausar Thompson and tried to pull up for a short jumper in the paint. Thompson read the situation perfectly, however, and knocked the ball out of Mitchell’s hands. As Thompson went to track down the loose ball, he was knocked over by Jarrett Allen with time still left on the clock. 

Pistons hosed by controversial no-call, but can only blame themselves for late collapse in loss to Cavs

Sam Quinn

Thompson looked around for a call and Bickerstaff raced out to mid-court to complain after the buzzer sounded, but they did not receive good news. Had a foul been called, Thompson would have gone to the line with a chance to be the hero. Instead, the game went to overtime, which the Cavaliers controlled en route to a pivotal victory. 

To no surprise, the Pistons expressed their frustration about the incident during their postgame press conferences. 

“We all saw the play, I think it’s pretty clear it was a foul,” said Cunningham, who finished with 39 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in one of the best postseason performances of his young career. 

His coach agreed with his assessment. “[Allen] fouled Ausar. It’s clear,” Bickerstaff said. “He trips him when he’s going for a loose ball.”

Thompson, for his part, refused to put the loss on the officials. “Can’t blame the refs,” he said. “We can’t put ourselves in these positions.”

Here’s what crew chief Tony Brothers said in the pool report after the game:

Question: Why wasn’t a foul called on that last possession in regulation involving Ausar Thompson on Jarrett Allen?

Brothers: During live play, both players were going for the ball and there was incidental contact with the legs with no player having possession of the ball.

Question: So, no foul should have been called?

Brothers: No, there was incidental contact on the play.  The play will be reviewed by the league office tomorrow and it will be posted in the L2M.

Thursday’s Last 2 Minute report ruled that the no-call was correct, saying that Allen and Thompson legally stepped to the same spot while pursuing the loose ball before either player had possession and that both lost their balance from the “marginal contact.” Regardless, as Thompson said, the Pistons should not have been in that position to begin with. They were in control with a chance to take a 3-2 lead. 

Now, they’ll have to win two games in a row, including Game 6 in Cleveland on Friday, if they want to get back to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2008.