What a terrible first quarter for Reggie Jackson to start his Pistons career. Perhaps it was fate for the way he left the Thunder in the lurch earlier this season before his deadline day trade to the Pistons, but Reggie started 0-for-8 from the field in his home debut on Sunday, and that wasn’t even the worst part.
In the middle of Reggie’s abysmal opening two quarters, he also lost his lunch on the sideline.
Call it nerves, or perhaps he caught some of the Knicks game with Phil Jackson, but Reggie was not feeling so great upon his introduction to the crowd at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Veteran Anthony Tolliver had some words of encouragement for the newest Piston, as Jackson told the Detroit Free Press after the game:
“Anthony told me once I got the first free throw, ‘the lid’s off the basket now.’
“Just continue to be yourself and just don’t put too much pressure on myself.”
Finally, with under 20 seconds to go in the half, Reggie isolated at the top of the key and drilled a line-drive three-pointer for his first bucket as a Piston.
Reggie felt a lot better after that, finishing the first half 1-for-9. He went 6-of-9 in the last 24 minutes to finish with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists as the Pistons won going away. Jackson — perhaps because of how bad things got in Oklahoma City towards the end — didn’t waste any time complimenting his backcourt mate, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who scored a game-high 26.
Reggie Jackson on KCP: "He's very athletic and he plays hard each and every night. That gives him a chance to be very, very special.(more)
— Keith Langlois (@Keith_Langlois) February 23, 2015
More Jackson KCP: "He's already good. We all kind of believe he can be great and we're going to continue to be on him about it."
— Keith Langlois (@Keith_Langlois) February 23, 2015
