The Detroit Pistons fell to 1-3 in the Summer League tonight, but Brice Williams was a bright spot for the squad with 24 points
In what was originally tabbed as the Pistons’ final Summer League contest before a fifth Las Vegas fixture against the Miami Heat was announced yesterday, Detroit suffered another blow in a 100-88 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
Now standing at 1-3 in the July tournament, the Pistons started off remarkably slowly and allowed the Suns to score 10 consecutive points off the jump before Brice Williams put Detroit on the scoreboard with a long two-pointer from the wing. After that, Williams continued to pull the trigger when he was within range, which is a scenario that played out early and often for the Pistons. Williams amassed 24 points for Detroit by the end of the third quarter, but the Nebraska product was unable to add to that total in the final frame as the Suns pulled away for a 12-point victory.
In between Phoenix’s hot start and quality finish, the Pistons battled back to make it a competitive game throughout the middle two quarters. At one point, the Pistons pulled ahead for a brief one-point lead, but the Suns broke out of their lull just in time to close out the game.
For the Pistons, Isaac Jones built on his already-impressive Summer League effort with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in the contest. Jones took the second-most shots on the night for Detroit, so the big man stepped up to the task with a lot of volume and made his attempts from the field count. Jones has already proven that he can contribute at an NBA level, but it is a positive to see the former Sacramento King produce such an impactful stat line in the Summer League as he fights for a spot in Detroit’s regular season rotation.
As for rookie Ebuka Okorie, the former Stanford guard had a slightly quieter performance with 16 points (5-for-17 from the field), three rebounds, five assists and four turnovers in the matchup. However, Okorie is still adjusting to the pace of professional hoops, and the regularity of Summer League games is a facet that will understandably test any rookie. On defense, Okorie looked stout at the point-of-attack and fought through screens and slipped over top of the pick to stick with his assignment on multiple occasions, so the first-rounder did put some positive tape out there on both sides of the ball against Phoenix.
As for fellow rookie Ugonna Onyenso, the former Virginia center posted five points and four rebounds in just 15 minutes of play, but his time on the court was highlighted by another long-range triple, his second three-pointer of the Summer League so far. Onyenso’s collegiate coach commended his ability to score from downtown during glimpses of that ability during practice, and he’s continued to show deep range at times during the Summer League as well, which is a clear-cut bonus for the second-round pick.
The Pistons have another day to rest up before facing the Heat on Friday as the final game of their Summer League docket.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage, but while you’re here, join Pistons Roundtable for FREE and become a contributing member to our community today. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.
