Ausar Thompson helped the Detroit Pistons mount a massive comeback in the fourth quarter of Game 6, yet JB Bickerstaff subbed him out with 3:52 to go, and the New York Knicks got the win. All of the momentum Thompson helped hte Pistons game was gone. It was a completely baffling decision.
When Thompson checked in the game at the 9:30 mark of the fourth quarter, the Pistons were down by 12 points. By the time Bickerstaff (oddly) decided to sub in Dennis Schroder for him, Detroit was up by five points. Bickerstaff eventually subbed Thompson back in with 1:23 left, but by then, it was too late.
The Pistons had lost all of their momentum, and the Knicks won the game.
Jalen Brunson game-winner over Ausar Thomspon will be remembered, but it shouldn't erase the other mistake
Most people will remember Thompson's performance in Game 6 for one play - the last one. He got absolutely cooked by Jalen Brunson, who sent him stumbling with a nasty crossover and nailed a three that put the Knicks up by three with four seconds left. The Pistons didn't even get a shot up on their final play.
It was a tough sight watching Thompson stumble out of the TV frame, but that one play shouldn't take away from the impressive game he had. And it certainly shouldn't serve as a distraction for the wild choice to sub him out of the game with just under four minutes to go.
Thompson had seven points on 4-of-4 shooting in the fourth quarter, but his real impact came on the defensive end. He did a phenomenal job guarding Brunson down the stretch of the game, as the Knicks star shot just 4-of-14 in the final frame.
Yet Bickerstaff still subbed him out of the game at its most crucial tipping point. Immediately after Thompson got a steal, a layup in transition, and then a pair of free throws on the next possession, Bickerstaff subbed him out. It didn't make any sense at the time, and the outcome of the game shouldn't erase that baffling decision.
There's no guarantee that the Pistons would have won the game if Thompson stayed on the floor. Schroder didn't necessarily do anything wrong. But still, Thompson was having an immensely impactful period, and he was yanked off the floor.
All of the work the Pistons did to come back was erased. They couldn't get the job done. And Bickerstaff subbing Thompson out of the game played a huge part in that.