In a gaffe of epic proportions, new Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff trotted out six players on the floor during his team’s 115-109 opening night loss to the Pacers on Wednesday.
The goof-up happened with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter when the Pistons inbounded the ball with a 98-96 lead. The officials immediately hit them with a “too many men” technical foul, a violation often committed in hockey and football but rarely in basketball.
Bickerstaff could be overhead pleading his case, saying that one of his players was trying to leave the floor before the refs signaled the start of the possession. The Pistons’ local broadcast hilariously did a head count of the six players on the floor with a slow-motion replay, as seen below.
The incident led to the momentum swinging in Indiana’s favor as Bennedict Mathurin made the technical foul shot. The Pacers would outscore the Pistons 33-19 in the fourth after Bickerstaff’s men led through most of the first three quarters.
Despite the loss, the Pistons had reason to be optimistic after their season-opener that saw their franchise star, Cade Cunningham, finish with 28 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 38 minutes. Also, their offseason acquisitions, Tim Hardaway, Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris, all scored in double-digits and made an instant impact as role players.
The Pistons are trying to end their five-year playoff drought after arguably their worst season in franchise history in which they tied the NBA record for most consecutive losses (28). The horrendous season led to them axing former head coach Monty Williams and replacing him with Bickerstaff.
