A strong effort from Ebuka Okorie wasn’t enough to prevent the Detroit Pistons from finishing Summer League on a sour note.
The rookie guard set a personal high in his fifth game in Las Vegas, with 27 points (8-for-19 overall, 1-for-5 from 3, 5-for-5 at the line). But the Pistons fell to the Miami Heat in their final exhibition, 101-87, on Friday, July 17, to finish their five-game slate at 1-4.
The Pistons led by as many as 15 in the third quarter, and 78-75 with 6:26 remaining in the fourth quarter. After Okorie cut the Pistons’ deficit to one, 81-80, at the 5:12 mark, the Heat unleashed a 15-0 run to take decisive control.
Detroit’s Brice Williams, who finished with 15 points, was whistled for two technical fouls and a Flagrant-1, and was ejected with 2:52 remaining. 2025 second-round pick Chaz Lanier also scored in double figures with 11 points and added four assists and two steals.
Pistons stick with starting five in finale
It’s customary for NBA teams to shut down their first-round draft picks and experienced players by the final game in Vegas. But the Pistons stuck with the group that started the first game – Okorie, Lanier, Williams, two-way player Isaac Jones and 2026 second-round pick Ugonna Onyenso. Their 2026 No. 17 overall pick, Okorie, is the first Pistons first-rounder to play all five games since Marcus Sasser in 2023.
Ebuka Okorie finds rhythm after slow start
Okorie scored 13 points in the final six minutes of the second quarter and capped a 12-0 Pistons run late in the first half, extending their lead to 50-37. The 6-foot-1 guard was responsible for the final seven points of the run – driving inside for a layup, knocking down a 3-pointer and pulling up from midrange on consecutive possessions.
In total, Okorie scored or assisted 18 of the Pistons’ 28 points in the second period, including their final 14. After missing five of his first six shots, he settled into a groove and was the main reason the Pistons were able to build a double-digit lead at halftime, 52-41.
After the Heat closed a 15-point deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter, Okorie answered with back-to-back baskets – a push shot just inside the free throw line, followed by a nifty finish where he drove down the middle with his left, lost his defender with a hesitation and finished with his right, extending their lead to 78-75.
The rookie has been prone to slow starts during summer league and shot just 15-for-52 (28.8%) overall in Games 2-4. But Miami had no answer for Okorie once he got rolling, and he showed off his full arsenal of hesitations, jukes and speedy takeoffs, as well as his knack for drawing contract.
Chaz Lanier stays hot, shows off vision
It has been a strong week for Lanier, who knocked down a scorching 15 of his 24 3-point attempts in Games 2 and 3, and hit four of nine in Wednesday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns. The 24-year-old closed with another accurate night on Friday, going 3-for-6 from deep and strengthening his claim as one of the best shooters on the roster.
Through his last four games in Vegas, Lanier shot 56.4% overall (22-for-39) from beyond the arc. He also led the Pistons on Friday with four assists and no turnovers, routinely finding teammates on time during cuts.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ebuka Okorie erupts despite Detroit Pistons Summer League collapse
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
