JB Bickerstaff After Pistons Drop Both Home Games To Knicks: Cade’s Lack Of Free Throws Surprising

The Pistons will need a basketball miracle now. For the second time in two games in Detroit, they lost to the Knicks. Both were incredibly close.

The latest came Sunday afternoon, when New York held on for a thrilling 94-93 victory. That gave the Knicks a 3-1 series lead as they head back home to try to close it out.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 25 points, but attempted just four free throws. This one game after attempting just three. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff suggested that’s not nearly enough — and he sure wasn’t blaming his All-Star guard.

“These last couple of games it’s hard for me to believe Cade’s only getting to the free throw line four times … it’s a little surprising that he doesn’t get to the free throw line more,” Bickerstaff told reporters, via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “I think sometimes he’s refereed differently because he’s a big guard.”

Bickerstaff also said he believed Tim Hardaway Jr. was fouled on the game’s final shot. No call.

“The guy leaves his feet and there’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot. I don’t know any way around it,” Bickerstaff said. “The guy leaves his feet, he’s at Timmy’s mercy, and I’ll repeat – there’s contact on his jump shot.”

Bickerstaff may be right. There are plenty of missed calls in these playoff games and the officials need to be better at the end. We see it time and again.

Either way, the fairly young Pistons are in a precarious position after a remarkable turnaround of a regular season.