J.B. Bickerstaff Calls Out Officials Following Cavs’ Game 4 Loss To Celtics

Boston shot 21-for-24 from the free-throw line on Monday night, while Cleveland shot just 5-for-7.

May 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J. B. Bickerstaff reacts against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter of game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Down 2-1 in an Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced a difficult task of evening up the set without Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.

While the Wine and Gold gave a valiant effort on Monday night, it was Boston who came away with a 109-102 victory.

But one glaring disparity that played a major role in the game’s outcome was the amount of free throw attempts and makes from both sides. The Celtics shot an efficient 21-for-24 (87.5%) from the stripe, while the Cavaliers shot just 5-for-7 (71.4%).

After Thursday night’s contest, Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked about what was missing from his team to win, and he expressed his displeasure with the game’s officiating.

“I’ll be honest with you, I was disappointed with the way the whistle blew tonight. I thought our guys deserved much better, the way that they were competing. They were attacking the paint, they were getting after it the same, both teams were. We’re not asking for anything more, but we’re asking for equal. And I don’t think we got an equal opportunity at it tonight from that standpoint.”

- Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff

May 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J. B. Bickerstaff reacts against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter of game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

He was also asked about why he thought his team was not getting as many calls as he had hoped.

“I don’t know, I can’t answer that," Bickerstaff said. "I’m not inside those guys’ heads. But what I do know is they [Boston] had zero fouls in the fourth quarter, until late in the game.”

Cleveland drained its only fourth-quarter free throw attempt with 31 seconds remaining, when Darius Garland completed a three-point play.

The Cavaliers will look to keep their season alive in Game 5 of the series on Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in Boston.