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Reggie Jackson's fourth quarter technical foul in Game 1 sealed the Pistons' loss in my eyes. The tide was already turned, but there were still three and a half minutes left to overcome just a four-point deficit. A five-point deficit certainly isn't insurmountable with that much time, but as soon as he picked that up, I just knew in my sinking gut there was not going to be a Game 1 upset. It was like a Game 1 version of Rasheed's early fourth quarter Game 4 technical and ejection in the 2007 playoffs. Game over. Might as well throw your jersey in the crowd.
Understandably so, Stan Van Gundy was pissed about it:
"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."
After the game, Jackson was upset too, but he indicated he wouldn't take back what he said that got him T'd up:
"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."
At least he's honest.
Van Gundy and Jackson talked about the technical and, while he isn't ready to admit it was stupid, Jackson's ready to move on and win Game 2:
"Yeah, we talked about it," Jackson said. "You learn from it. We talked about it. Hopefully we'll move forward. Move past that game. And try to find a way to get a win on Wednesday."
Now your thoughts.