Reggie Jackson's late T earns Van Gundy's ire
CLEVELAND — Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy was not happy that his point guard, Reggie Jackson, earned a technical foul late in the fourth quarter of his team’s Game 1 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
With the Pistons trailing 96-92 with 3:24 left, Jackson went up for a jumper and thought he was fouled. He started arguing the no-call and was whistled for a technical. Kyrie Irving made the foul shot as the Cavs closed out a 106-101 victory.
After it was over, a reporter wondered if the technical came at a bad time. Van Gundy was quick with his response.
“That’s a statement — not a question,” Van Gundy said before adding, “and correct.”
A few moments later, Van Gundy expounded on his feelings.
“I think [Jackson] knows the message,” Van Gundy said. “You cannot, cannot get a technical foul. Understand you’re frustrated, and you think you got fouled — whatever, doesn’t matter. First of all, we can’t give them away, even in the first quarter. We don’t have the margin for error against this team to get those, but certainly not at that point in the game.
“One point’s huge. You just — it can’t be done. He knows that. I’m sure if you ask him, he’ll tell you. I haven’t talked to him since the incident. I’m sure he’d tell you the same thing. You can’t get that. You’re angry at the referee, and so because I’m mad at the referee, the way I’ll show my anger is give the Cavaliers a point. It doesn’t make sense.”
Jackson, who finished with 17 points and seven assists, is one of the few members of the Pistons’ young core who has playoff experience. He played three-and-a-half seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder before a trade sent him to the Pistons last season.
When asked if the technical was something he wished he could take back, Jackson did not sound remorseful.
“Nah, I wish I could get the call,” he said. “I wish they had seen me get slapped on the arm. It felt, to me, blatantly obvious. Had to let them know.”
Game 2 will be Wednesday night in Cleveland.
