NBA Ref Explains Cade Cunningham's Ejection amid Pistons HC Bickerstaff's Comments

Officiating was a major storyline during Saturday's game between the Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder, especially when Cade Cunningham was ejected.

"Cunningham was given his first technical foul for disrespectfully addressing an official with profanity," crew chief Brian Forte told the pool reporter, per ESPN. "After the free throw for the first technical was shot, Cade continued to use profanity toward the official and received his second technical foul and was ejected."

OKC emerged with the 113-107 victory in part because Detroit did not have its star player for crunch time due to the ejection late in the third quarter.

The Pistons were issued five technical fouls in all, and Cunningham picked up two technicals in a 48-second stretch.

"I'm disgusted by the way that game was officiated," Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. "The level of disrespect was above and beyond. They have a guy fall down and trip on his own teammate's foot, they review us for a hostile act. They throw an elbow to our chest and neck area, I ask to at least take a look at it (on video). ... No one would take a look at it.

"The disrespect has gone far enough, and I'm not going to allow our guys to be treated the way they were tonight."

The technical fouls and whistles overshadowed the battle between two teams in playoff position. The Thunder have the best record in the Western Conference at 55-12, while the Pistons have been among the best surprises in the league at 37-31 and sixth place in the East.

Cunningham struggled at times while going 5-of-18 from the field, although he did a little bit of everything with 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds prior to the ejection.

Nobody on Detroit had any answers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, though, who stuffed the stat sheet with 48 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals. It was yet another excellent performance from the MVP candidate who didn't have to deal with the Pistons' counterpart in the fourth quarter after the ejection.

Bickerstaff and the Pistons were not happy with the officials, but their inability to slow down SGA likely proved to be the difference.