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.