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Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons expressed frustration over free-throw disparity in their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the officiating issues, Cunningham emphasized the need for the team to improve their performance.
Cleveland â Cade Cunningham quickly realized he and the Detroit Pistons faced two distinct challenges on Monday night.
One was against the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the other came from the officials.
The moment came early in the first quarter when he was "hit on the arm" while attacking downhill. Cunningham says he tried to plead his case to the officials, but no one would acknowledge him.
His most frustrating moment occurred at the end of the first half when he attempted a 3-pointer as time expired. However, Donovan Mitchell prevented Cunningham from getting a clear shot by making contact and seemingly grabbing his ankle while falling to the ground. He attempted to plead his case again, but once more, the officials disregarded him.
"We played two different games tonight," Cunningham said. "But that's a part of the game. We cannot allow that to get to us. Against the home team, you never know how it is going to be when you are on the road. That is not why we lost the game, but it definitely did not help."
Two key moments against Cunningham highlighted the lack of fouls called against the Pistons during their 112-103 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 4 at Rocket Arena. The Pistons accepted full responsibility for their subpar performance, recognizing their shortcomings contributed to their second consecutive defeat.
More: Niyo: Pistons can blame their own foul play in Cleveland for series tie
However, the significant discrepancies in foul calls and free-throw shooting certainly did not help their cause. By the time the Cavaliers left their home court, they had shot 30-of-34 from the free-throw line (88.2%), with Mitchell accounting for 15. In contrast, the Pistons finished the game with only 12 attempts, making nine (75%).
"It makes it difficult," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "It is interesting with the differences (in foul calls) on both sides of the ball. When tries to come off screens, given the number of hands on him, the whistles were not blown. But, again, we have to play better. We can be in our system and be physical in our system without fouling. We have to do a better job of being early to help. Early in position and showing our hands. All of those things, we need to do a better job of, and hopefully eliminate some of those things."
Cade Cunningham mentioned that he felt the officials did not acknowledge his pleas during the game, highlighting a disparity in free-throw calls.
Cunningham noted that while the officiating was frustrating, it was not the sole reason for their loss, but it certainly impacted their performance.
Cunningham referred to being hit on the arm while driving to the basket and not receiving a call, as well as being impeded during a last-second shot attempt.
Cunningham suggested that the disparity in officiating made it feel like the Pistons faced different challenges compared to the Cavaliers, especially as the visiting team.

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Bickerstaff believes the officiating started to favor the Cavaliers when the series shifted to Cleveland on Saturday. Over the last two games, the Cavaliers led the league in free-throw attempts, averaging 31.0 per game. The Pistons have been called for an average of 26.0 fouls, which is the highest in the league.
In contrast, the Cavaliers averaged the fewest personal fouls in Games 3 and 4, with a league-low of 16.0 fouls per game. Detroit averaged 17.0 free-throw attempts as a result.
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) defends Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the second half. Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers, Round 2, Game 2, at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Detroit, Mich
Bickerstaff observed a shift in how the series was officiated after Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson expressed his concerns ahead of Game 3. Atkinson pointed out Mitchell's trips to the foul line had been reduced by half during the playoffs, especially when compared to the regular season, where he went to the line an average of 6.1 per game.
Before Atkinson's statement, Mitchell was averaging 3.0 attempts from the charity stripe during the first nine playoff games. Over the last two games, he has shot an average of 11.5 attempts.
"We feel like we are aggressive offensively, too. Deuce (Cunningham) drives to the paint as much as Mitchell does, but we did not get the call. But we have to play through it," guard Caris LeVert said. "We can definitely do a better job of taking care of the ball, but sometimes, the free-throw disparity is going to be like that. You have to find a way to play through that, especially on the road."
The Pistons are frustrated with recent officiating trends that seem to favor the Cavaliers, and they plan to submit several examples of questionable no-calls to the league office.
Discipline was central to the Pistons' defensive strategy entering the Eastern Conference semifinals. It was a significant factor in their ability to secure a 2-0 series lead before embarking on a two-game losing streak. At the time, the Pistons' discipline had limited the Cavaliers to 21.5 free-throw attempts. It allowed the Pistons to limit the Cavaliers to 99.0 points per game while also committing 15.5 turnovers.
However, as the series returns to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday night, the Pistons have committed to maintaining their physical defensive identity while ensuring they do not leave the outcome to the officials.
"Good defense is not fouling," center Jalen Duren said. "We just have to play good defense. Keep our hands out of there and stay down on pump fakes. The foul count is the foul count. If we are fouling them, we are fouling them. We are a team that can stay in front of guys and keep them contained without fouling. We have to do a better job as a whole."
**â¶ Tip-off:**8 p.m. Wednesday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
â¶ TV/radio:Â ESPN/950 AM
â¶Â Outlook:Â Between Game 7 of the first-round series against the Orlando Magic and Game 1 against the Cavaliers, it appeared Jalen Duren had broken free of the offensive slump that hindered his play this postseason. He averaged 13.0 points on 45.0% shooting, to go along with 13.5 rebounds, getting closer to the All-Star performance he exhibited during the regular season. He has since reverted to his dreadful performance. Over the last three games, Duren has averaged 9.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 turnovers.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Pistons not happy with free-throw disparity