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Pistons bouncer Reggie Jackson glows afterwards a 102-90 season-opening win over the Hornets in the aboriginal official bold at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press
Reggie Jackson denticulate 13 credibility and had eight assists in Wednesday's division opener adjoin the Charlotte Hornets at Little Caesars Arena.(Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)
As the final abnormal ticked abroad Wednesday night, Andre Drummond looked for Reggie Jackson on the Little Caesars Arena floor.
When he begin him, the two players who attempt for the appellation of Best Polarizing Detroit Piston accepted at centermost court.
Neither were the brilliant of the franchise’s aboriginal official night in a new home.
But Drummond capital to put the spotlight on Jackson, who was solid in the Detroit Pistons’ 102-90 achievement over the Charlotte Hornets.
“It was aloof an affecting moment for myself and him,” Drummond said afterwards the game.
“Just to accept him aback is agitative for me … It’s acceptable to accept him back.”
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Jackson, in his aboriginal regular-season airing aback disturbing with injuries in 2016-17, denticulate 13 credibility and delivered eight assists with no turnovers.
“Honestly, we were aloof talking about how we accept to go out there and advance anniversary and every night,” Jackson said of the post-game embrace. “We accept to be our best selves. If we appetite to do article special, we accept to do it on a circadian basis. Not necessarily aloof games; we accept to abide to get bigger in practice, again we accept to construe it over to amateur and appear out and attempt anniversary and every day.”
Pistons drillmaster Stan Van Gundy never clearly said Jackson would start. The aggregation performed bigger aftermost division with Ish Smith on the attic and that trend connected through the preseason.
Jackson's still animadversion off the blight afterwards an off-season adherent to attached abrasion on his larboard knee, which was the antecedent of aftermost season’s struggles.
He started accurate basketball action aloof a ages ago; Van Gundy said Jackson’s aboriginal full-court action came a day afore media day aftermost month.
And while he works off the rust, Jackson may accept apparent a acceptable formula.
Fans had a love/hate accord with Jackson’s ball-dominant, over-dribbling game.
That bold was boilerplate to be found.
“I anticipate everybody notices it because if you’re watching, there’s a lot beneath anguish the ball,” Van Gundy said. “He’s not out there 15, 16 dribbles. He makes his move and he makes the canyon and so that’s catching and it allows added bodies to comedy and, plus, the actuality (he had) eight assists and no turnovers.”
Tobias Harris (27 points, 10 rebounds) shouldered abundant of the scoring amount and his three-pointer with 1:11 larboard gave the Pistons a 100-89 lead.
It came from a Jackson canyon and as both players aloof on defense, Harris fabricated a point to pat Jackson on the back.
Jackson’s bold is still predicated on accepting into the acrylic and it took him a while to acquisition his blow about the basket. He started 1-for-6 on his way, but fabricated his aftermost four shots. A three-point comedy at the rim appeared to get him going.
His plus-minus appraisement for the night was plus-10; Smith’s was plus-two.
But Jackson deferred for best of the night. Three players attempted added shots.
“I talked to him about the way he was playing,” Drummond said. “I charge him to accomplish our aggregation go. Everybody knows Reggie is one of the best point guards in the league, but I bare him to get anybody abroad involved.
“That’s what makes our aggregation abundant and he’s done a abundant job of aggravating to absorb that and get everybody activity aboriginal afore he worries about himself. That’s a attestation to what affectionate of amateur he is.”
Conditioning is still a concern. He absent time during the preseason with a abscessed appropriate groin. And four amateur in the abutting seven canicule anticipate the Pistons.
“He’s still aggravating to acquisition his legs,” Van Gundy said. “He didn’t do abundant of annihilation until we started camp. He’s absolutely alone been at it for a brace of weeks. Again he absent a brace of amateur aboriginal because of a beam thing. He hasn’t played a lot of basketball. He’s aloof starting to get back. His conditioning has appear a continued way in the aftermost week. … It’s alone activity to get bigger as time goes on.”
Contact Vince Ellis: vellis@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.
