The Detroit Pistons hope to turn their franchise around under new coach J.B. Bicksterstaff. Opening night saw the team take a solid step towards being competitive, losing a close game 109-115 to the Indiana Pacers. Even though it was a hard-fought loss, the Pistons made a massive error and had six players on the court for a play with eight minutes on the clock, leading to a hilarious team technical foul.
Pistons got a tech for having SIX players on the court 😅 pic.twitter.com/cTXPSiYEJ5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 24, 2024
A technical foul for having too many players on the court is rare to see at the highest level of basketball. Opening night is when teams are arguably their most locked in, so coach JB Bickerstaff will be angry at himself for letting this happen in his regular season coaching debut for the franchise. The Pistons were leading 98-96 at the time of this mistake, so it has to sting even more.
The Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season with a record of 14-68, including the longest losing streak in the history of the NBA. They are looking much more organized under Bickerstaff through preseason and this loss to the Pacers, who are potential East contenders.
Cade Cunningham looks ready to make a star leap, putting up 28 points, five rebounds, and eight assists in the loss. He was flanked by a 17-point performance from Jaden Ivey, with new additions Tim Hardaway Jr (14 points) and Tobias Harris )13 points) also having an impact. Jalen Duren notched a 13-point 13-rebound double-double.
The Pacers were led by Myles Turner’s 20 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks while Pascal Siakam put up 19 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. Tyrese Haliburton had a rough shooting night but a solid all-around performance, putting up 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. Bennedict Mathurin put up 19 points off the bench.
The Pistons might be victims to one of the silliest mistakes in basketball by leaving six players on the court, but they’re looking better from a basketball perspective to the team we saw last season. The Pacers won’t be happy with having to make a comeback to earn this win but at least they got their season off to a winning start.
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