The Detroit Pistons suffered another crushing loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. The 127-120 defeat was a physical battle between both teams, but the referee was one of the biggest questions of the night.

Milwaukee took advantage of a staggering advantage at the free throw line with 22-25 attempts. Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated with 59 points and knocked down 16-17 free throws. Antetokounmpo had more successes and attempts individually than the Pistons as a team.

Detroit outscored 10-13 from the free throw line and head coach JB Bickerstaff made his thoughts public at the post-game press conference.

“It was a bit lopsided, to be honest. One man shoots more free throws than our entire team. That is disappointing,” Bickerstaff said. “I think our guys deserve better. They were aggressive, but the whistles weren’t going in the same direction. We deserve people’s respect and if our guys keep playing the way we play, eventually we’ll earn respect and get the same calls.”

The Pistons led by as many as 18 points against the Bucks in the first half. The momentum of the game changed after Isaiah Stewart was ejected for a flagrant two-foul when he grabbed Antetokounmpo’s jersey and dropped it to the ground. Detroit’s defense suffered without one of their primary ones, which helped lead to the Milwaukee forward’s breakout performance.

Detroit has had referee problems for much of the season. Point guard Cade Cunningham has also expressed frustration with the officiating. He talked about how he’s been trying to adjust his game for better whistles after the loss to the New York Knicks, despite not getting the calls he thinks he deserves.

“I try to be physical, I have to be physical. Teams are physical and I protect myself, so I have to play through a lot of physicality to get into my spots and make shots,” Cunningham explained. “I try to make mistakes. I try to shout more. I try to show the contact more, but it’s all up to the referees and what they see.”

Big stage for Pistons’ Ron Holland II

The Pistons limped into their game against the Bucks with several new injuries. They approached the match without key players such as Jaden Ivey (toe), Simone Fontecchio (toe) and Tim Hardaway Jr (head injury). Bickerstaff opted to start rookie Ron Holland II at forward due to the lack of depth.

Holland finished with 11 points, but had a tough “welcome to the NBA” moment with a chance to win the game for the Pistons. Holland was fouled by the Bucks on an inbound lob from Cunningham with one second left. The first-round rookie confidently stepped to the line with a chance to win the match. Unfortunately, both shots fell short, forcing the Pistons into their second straight overtime period.

Late game execution remains an area of ​​necessary development for Detroit in its rebuilding phase. The majority of their games this regular season came down to the last few possessions of the game. Bickerstaff has emphasized his belief that the team will grow from these crushing results. They’ll get another chance to show that growth when they take on the Toronto Raptors in their next In-Season Tournament game on Friday.