After the Detroit Pistons' near-comeback win against the Washington Wizards on Friday, point guard Reggie Jackson cast some serious shade on the officials.
"I feel like we weren't allowed to play basketball," Jackson told reporters after the loss, per Troy Haliburton. "Personally, I might be ashamed of myself if I wore stripes into the building tonight."
The Pistons began the second half with a seven-point edge, but finished the frame trailing by 10. The Wizards ended up going to the free-throw line 35 times in the game to the Pistons' 20 attempts.
Center Andre Drummond fouled out of the game early in the fourth quarter, finishing with nine points and 12 rebounds. Even without the aid of their highly paid big man, the Pistons proceeded to go on a 14-0 scoring run, cutting the Wizards' lead to one and setting up an opportunity to steal a win.
When asked how Drummond's exit and the team's subsequent transition to a small-ball lineup sparked the Pistons' fortunes, Jackson was blunt.
"We were a lot quicker - and we were finally allowed to play basketball," Jackson said, once again lamenting the referees' frequent whistles.
Note: The original article wrongly presented Jackson's comments as being directed toward teammate Andre Drummond instead of the referees.
