Pistons Earn a Bittersweet Victory Versus Pacers
By Sham Mohile
The Detroit Pistons earn their fifth win in six games with a decisive victory over the Indiana Pacers, 107-83, but the victory was bittersweet.
The silence was deafening at Little Caesars Arena halfway through the third quarter.
The Detroit Pistons had control of the game the entire night. The ball was whipping from player to player in Stan Van Gundy’s new dribble hand-off motion offense, but the attention was solely on the ankle of Reggie Jackson.
Reggie Jackson’s x-rays came back negative for any fractures and it is tentatively diagnosed as an ankle sprain. He will undergo an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.
While the Pistons continued to step on the throat of the Pacers to close out the game strong, the victory is a bittersweet reminder of how important depth is to winning basketball teams.
Without further ado, here are the player grades:
A-. Before going down with the ankle injury, Reggie Jackson did everything you could ask for a quality NBA point guard. He was able to get his teammates open looks and wide-open dunks. Although the Pistons closed strong, his presence will be missed.. PG. Detroit Pistons. REGGIE JACKSON
Detroit Pistons. LUKE KENNARD. INC. Although <a rel=. SG
SF. Detroit Pistons. REGGIE BULLOCK. B. When Stan Van Gundy opted for Reggie Bullock at the shooting guard position defensively, Bullock was tasked with guarding Victor Oladipo all night. Bullock was decent offensively, but very good defensively. He forced Oladipo into many tough shots and forced him into 2 turnover and a -23 night.
A+. <a rel=. PF. Detroit Pistons. TOBIAS HARRIS
A. <a rel=. C. Detroit Pistons. ANDRE DRUMMOND
Detroit Pistons. ISH SMITH. B+. After Reggie Jackson’s injury, <a rel=. PG
B-. <a rel=. SG. Detroit Pistons. LANGSTON GALLOWAY
F. I hate to be this harsh, but <a rel=. SF. Detroit Pistons. STANLEY JOHNSON
C-. <a rel=. PF. Detroit Pistons. ANTHONY TOLLIVER
D-. <a rel=. C. Detroit Pistons. ERIC MORELAND
C+. Stan Van Gundy had an average night as a coach. He was a benefactor of the hot shooting from the starting linuep, but struggled to find a role for Stanley Johnson on the floor. Some lineup combinations he threw out on the court were a little strange and were stagnant. He’ll have his work cut out for him after Reggie Jackson’s injury and it will be interesting to see who gets the start, who comes off the bench, and who (potentially) could be signed.. Head Coach. Detroit Pistons. STAN VAN GUNDY