Brice Williams played with confidence and dropped 24 points in a 100-88 Summer League loss against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Williams scored nine of the Pistons’ 13 first-quarter points and gave them their first lead of the game with a 3-pointer. Along with his 24-point game, he finished with six rebounds and four assists.
The Pistons struggled both offensively and defensively in the first quarter, allowing the Suns to take a 10-point lead to start the game and shot 20% from the field in the first quarter (4-for-20).
The Pistons finished the game shooting 38% from the field (29-for-77) and fell to 1-3 in the Summer League, despite a second-half battle and a standout performance from Williams.
“I’m just playing confident, I ain’t really thinking too much,” Williams said about what was working for him offensively. “You know, having a short memory, shaking off that last game — just playing for the next play.”
The Suns started the game with a 10-0 run, but Williams shut them down with a pull-up jumper assisted by first-round pick Ebuka Okorie.
Okorie didn’t record his first basket until the second quarter with a layup. He finished the game with 16 points and five assists.
Before the matchup, Okorie mentioned using each game as a learning experience to help him improve for the next.
“I would just like to showcase all parts of my game on the offense, my ability to create for myself and others, and then causing some havoc on the defensive end, just trying to help my team win,” Okorie said.
Isaac Jones came alive in the second quarter and finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. After only having two points in the first quarter, he scored 10 in the second as the Pistons trailed 53-46 at halftime.
His energy carried over into the second half. He slammed a soaring dunk in the fourth quarter, and later denied the Suns one of their own.
After some strong Summer League outings, Chaz Lanier shot only 33% from the field (4-for-12) for the Pistons, but he made four 3-pointers and still put 15 points.
Khaman Maluach dominated both offensively and defensively, and led the Suns with a double-double of 23 points and 15 rebounds. The Suns shot 51% from the field (35-for-68).
The Pistons will play their fifth Summer League game against the Miami Heat on Friday. The contest will tip at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
amarable@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Brice Williams shows confidence in Pistons’ Summer League loss to Suns
Reporting by Alauna Marable , The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Alauna Marable , The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
