Pistons called for six men on court during fourth-quarter collapse in season opener

The Detroit Pistons weren’t good last year and aren’t expected to be good this year either. But you would still expect them to keep track of how many players they have on the field.

A promising start to the season ended with a disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, with Detroit outscored 33-19 in the fourth quarter of a 115-109 loss. One of these allowed points was very avoidable.

The Pistons clung to a 98-96 lead midway through the fourth period, hitting the ball with six players on the court ready to play. The referees quickly awarded the team a technical foul because there were too many men on the field.

The subsequent work on the telestrator was flawless:

The game marked the Pistons debut of new head coach JB Bickerstaff, who heatedly argued his case with the officials when they allowed the Pacers a free throw made by Bennedict Mathurin.

The rest of the game didn’t go much better for Detroit.

It was a bad start to the season, but not without hope for the Pistons, especially considering that you have to play well for three quarters for a fourth quarter collapse to be possible. Cade Cunningham continued to look like a rising star with 28 points, eight assists and five rebounds, while five other players scored in double figures.

After missing the playoffs five straight seasons, the Pistons are eager to put their rebuilding phase behind them and get back to contention. That’s why they spent $65 million to fire head coach Monty Williams and hire Bickerstaff.