Detroit Pistons Rookie Ebuka Okorie Hits Game-Winner Over Suns In Preseason Debut

In his first official dose of NBA action after the Summer League, Detroit Pistons rookie Ebuka Okorie authored a fairytale ending for his preseason debut. 

Despite trailing the Phoenix Suns by 18 at halftime, the Pistons fought back in the second half to close that gap entering the third quarter. When Okorie checked into the game with 10:05 remaining, Detroit had fully shifted into win-now mode after an at-times lackadaisical effort in the first half. Okorie directed traffic for the Pistons, was instrumental in applying defensive pressure for turnovers and eventually had the ball in his hands for Detroit’s final shot. 

With less than 10 seconds remaining at the score gridlocked at 107 apiece, Okorie darted to the left, scooped his shot up near the rim and watched as he won the game for the Pistons, 109-107.

”Coach J.B. drew it up for me to get downhill,” Okorie said after the game. “I saw an opening on the left side, so I took it. The defense didn’t step up, so I just took it all the way, got it to go.”

In his preseason debut, the former Stanford Cardinal finished with seven points, one rebound and one assist in just 10 minutes of action, but Okorie left his imprint on the game. In fact, Okorie drilled a triple as soon as he stepped on the floor for his first offensive contribution of the night, and that shot set the tone for a 75% shooting performance from the newcomer. 

Apart from Okorie’s stellar introduction, the Pistons were able to erase a double-digit Phoenix lead at the break thanks to their penchant for forcing defensive turnovers. Falling in line with last season’s identity, Detroit was able to flip these turnovers into fastbreak buckets going the other way, and the Pistons methodically chopped away at the Suns lead throughout the third quarter. 

From an offensive perceptive, the Pistons had five players in double figures for the night, four of which were starters. Ron Holland II led the way with a team-high 14 points, but he was inefficient in his work with a 4-for-12 shooting performance to his credit. But refocusing to the starting unit, the four-man combo of John Collins, Paul Reed, Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson all scored 10 points against Phoenix for a fairly balanced string of performances from the starters. 

Of that group, Collins made the quickest impact by mixing it up with Dillon Brooks early in the first quarter. Both players were assessed technical fouls as part of the dust up, but Collins remained a focal point of the Pistons attack and was quite effective in the two-man game. Collins moved to the five to give Detroit a few minutes with a small-ball lineup, but the squad was relatively outmatched on the defensive boards during this period. 

Jalen Duren did not suit up for the Pistons tonight, but that was to be expected since he just signed his five-year deal so recently. Still, the Pistons started off their exhibition campaign with a thrilling come-from-behind victory at home in front of an exuberant crowd inside Little Caesars Arena on Monday night.