Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff blasted crew chief John Goble after Thursday night’s 116-114 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks, stating the official was “not objective.”
J.B. Bickerstaff Referenced Goble’s Calls
Bickerstaff referenced several calls made by Goble, including a technical foul and ejection of Pistons forward Ausar Thompson during the second quarter and a technical foul on Bickerstaff seconds after the halftime buzzer.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Bickerstaff said he was told by Goble during the game, “Night by night, this is how our interactions are.”
“So, that says to me that the referee is coming into the game not being objective,” Bickerstaff said. “OK? That same referee, at halftime, I get my technical foul. I don’t say anything to him. I go to grab Cade [Cunningham] to get Cade off the floor. He gives me a technical foul. That’s my job to get my player away from the referee, get us back to halftime so we can have the conversations that we need to have.”
JB Bickerstaff on NBA official John Goble
“A referee makes a comment to me night after night — that’s how our interactions are. That tells me the referee is coming into the game without being objective.
I want to make this clear: this game is not about the referees. It was a… pic.twitter.com/hkzAq7cZU6
— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) December 19, 2025
“So, the same referee who comes into the game who’s not objective, and then he goes out and makes those calls. [That] same referee, if you take a look at the play where he ejects A.T, he steps towards A.T., right? That’s where the minimal contact happens, where he steps towards him and initiates it,” Bickerstaff continued.
Per MacMahon, Goble told a pool reporter that Thompson was ejected “for aggressively approaching and making contact with an official.”
Goble cited “continuous complaining” for why Bickerstaff was issued a technical at halftime. Cunningham had also been called for a technical foul with 24 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Pistons Missed Several 3-Pointers
The Pistons battled their way back from an 18-point deficit in the second half to force overtime. Detroit had three shot attempts on its final offensive possession, stemming from big man Jalen Duren’s two offensive rebounds.
MacMahon noted that Bickerstaff attempted to call a timeout after Duren’s second rebound of the possession, but the referees appeared to not see or hear him.
Detroit outscored Dallas 30-15 on second-chance points with 25 offensive rebounds, but the Pistons shot a season-worst 6-for-33 (18.2%) from 3-point territory.
Cunningham had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for his third triple-double this season, while Duren finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
The East-leading Pistons (21-6) have gone 6-4 following a 15-2 start.
Detroit hosts the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
