Detroit fined for using ineligible players

Forward Rasheed Wallace and guard Mike James played in the first half of the contest despite the certifications of the trade not being officially signed.

Upon hearing the news at halftime that the February 19 trade involving Detroit, Boston and Atlanta was not complete, Pistons head coach Larry Brown removed both players from the game to avoid further complicating the situation.

Both players were in the lineup for Sunday night’s game against Orlando. Wallace started and scored 14 points, while James came off the bench to net seven. However, the Magic walked away with an 87-86 victory.