Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff accused crew chief John Goble of being “not objective” after a 116-114 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Bickerstaff pointed to multiple moments involving Goble’s calls, including the second-quarter technical and ejection of Ausar Thompson, a technical assessed to Bickerstaff seconds after the halftime horn, and a timeout he said was not awarded in the closing moments.
Bickerstaff said Goble told him during the game that their interactions are the same “night after night,” which he took as evidence the referee entered the game with a preconceived mindset. A pool report stated Thompson was ejected for aggressively approaching and making contact with an official, and Goble cited “continuous complaining” for Bickerstaff’s halftime technical. Detroit rallied from 18 down to force OT, then had a disputed late sequence in which Bickerstaff said he tried to call timeout after an offensive rebound but wasn’t granted it.
Bickerstaff stressed he didn’t want the night to be “about the referees,” calling it a highly competitive game, but said fairness and objectivity must be addressed. Dallas had complaints, too: Jason Kidd reacted strongly after Anthony Davis was called for a foul with 3.4 seconds left, right after Cooper Flagg had put Dallas ahead. Flagg finished with 23 points and said the Mavericks will keep fighting as they pushed into the final West play-in spot.
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