With Reggie Jackson limping badly Wednesday night after the Detroit Pistons’ blowout loss at Miami, it was tough to see him playing Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

He rolled his right ankle stepping on Zaza Pachulia’s foot late in the game — the same ankle that suffered a Grade 3 sprain that forced him to miss 37 games last season.

There wasn’t alarm in the visitor’s locker room at American Airlines Arena.

No crutches.

No extra attention from medical staff.

But he was in obvious pain.

“I’ll be honest, when he first went down, if you would have asked me if he was going to play against the Lakers, I would have said we’ll see,” Pistons medical director Bernard Condevaux said Saturday.

Fast forward to Friday.

Jackson improved enough to start against the Lakers, scoring 10 of 20 points in the third quarter of the 111-97 victory.

The Pistons (35-33) are tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference and are in the middle of a playoff chase so they could ill afford to lose Jackson for an extended absence.

Although he was in pain, Jackson was confident the new team spearheaded by Condevaux and head trainer Jim Scholler.

“I knew they would have a viable plan for me to come out here and have a real legitimate shot to play today and be as close to myself as normal,” Jackson said after the game before icing both his ankles. “I’m just confident in the communication. They all believe in each other. I thought I’d be able to come play today. Even if I wasn’t, in my heart, I felt like they would do everything they could to go out there and compete, so I wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

Condevaux said the process started the moment Jackson limped off the court.

They immediately treated the ankle for swelling, because once swelling gets into joints, the injury worsens.

An MRI on Thursday determined the next steps.

Condevaux called it the “shotgun approach,” which means shoot everything at a problem.

Thursday was an off day, but Jackson and the medical team worked on the ankle for four-to-five hours at the practice facility in Auburn Hills.

Pool-walking.

Massaging.

Blood-flow restriction therapy.

“Everything we could to give him every opportunity to start — knowing that he would pain, but if we control it and he felt stable (he could play),” Condevaux said. “To his credit, from the moment he went down, he said he was going to play.”

Jackson said it was fun to watch the collaboration.

He arrived at the arena feeling good Friday, but he had to pass one more hurdle.

Jackson was put through a series of exercises by director of sports performance Trent Salo.

[Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores 'proud' of turnaround after adversity]

It was more than just running and shooting. Jackson was asked to perform basketball-like activity to make sure the ankle was sound.

“I know you want to play, you’re an athlete, but our job is to make sure we don’t put you out there if you’re not ready to play,” Condevaux said.

Jackson passed the test.

“I commend them for their dedication,” Jackson said. “Coming in on an off day just tending to me, with so many ideas for sending me home with the right program to treat myself or even checking up on me throughout the day. That’s why I wasn’t really worried. I believe in that team wholeheartedly. They’re really locked in.”

Up next: Toronto

The Pistons will seek a season sweep against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday after winning the first two games of the season series.

It’s past time to remind Pistons coach Dwane Casey of his past with the Raptors, the organization that jettisoned Casey after seven seasons last offseason.

Casey’s more concerned with the lull his Pistons have hit.

They were crushed twice in road losses this week at Brooklyn and Miami earlier this week before an uneven performance against the Lakers, who were missing LeBron James (rest).

The Pistons have won 14 of 19 games behind a hot-shooting streak to have claim control of their playoff destiny.

The effort will have to be there against the Raptors, who are second in the Eastern Conference.

“The one thing that can be consistent is your effort,” Casey said after Saturday’s practice. “You’re going to miss shots. We weren’t going to keep shooting 40 percent from 3, but what can be consistent is while you’re out there on the floor, is the focus, the playing toughness with physicality, whatever it is. If you need a blow, we’ll get you out.”

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