The Detroit Pistons earned their first 2024 Summer League victory by defeating the Houston Rockets, 87-72. Their winning effort was a rebound after losing 94-81 against the Philadelphia 76ers to open their Summer League action this past Saturday.
Detroit came into the matchup without their first-round forward Ron Holland II available. Initial reporting by NBA TV stated Holland was out to rest and heal his right thumb. He had season-ending surgery on his back with the G League Ignite in February. Reports later came out that the rest was not injury-related for Holland. The Pistons are scheduled for a back-to-back on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls and elected to rest Holland in preparation for that.
After trailing most of the first half, the Pistons increased the intensity in the second half. Detroit went on a 16-0 run that stole the lead from the Rockets in the third quarter. The run was anchored by strong team defense and breakout contributions on offense.
Daniss Jenkins heats up
Shooting guard Daniss Jenkins lit the Rockets up as he led the Pistons in scoring with 26 points. He was extremely efficient, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 6-of-11 from 3-point range. It is also worth noting that 18 of his 26 points came in the game's first two quarters.
After coming off the bench on Saturday, Jenkins started for the Pistons in 27 minutes of playing time. Jenkins scored 10 points in 26 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers. He has shown the ability to create his shot and space the floor as a knockdown catch-and-shoot threat.
Another strong performance by Bobi Klintman
Second-round forward Bobi Klintman has been a major contributor to the Pistons' production through the Summer League. His impact against the Rockets was certainly on display after he scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The efficiency remained intact, hitting 7-of-13 shots from the field and 4-of-8 from three. He scored 13 points in the third quarter to help boost the Pistons' 16-0 run.
Detroit has let Klintman play the role of facilitator by initiating some offensive sets in the half-court and transition. The 21-year-old also excels in off-ball action, where he generated plenty of spot-up three-point looks versus the Rockets.
Improved Pistons defense
While the Pistons were heating up offensively in the second half, their victory was propelled by their fourth-quarter defense. Detroit kept Houston in check, holding the opponents to nine total points in the fourth quarter as the Pistons scored 24. The second-half scoring was quite lopsided as the Pistons outscored the Rockets 50-37.
The Rockets were limited to 37.7% shooting from the field and 29.4% from three. Rockets forward Cam Whitmore was held to five points on 1-of-15 shooting. Whitmore had been on a hot streak, totaling 45 points in the first two Summer League games. Klintman had a major tole in slowing down the dangerous scoring threat by Whitmore.
Detroit's team and individual defensive efforts were very profound on the way to their victory. Six different Pistons recorded a steal against the Rockets, including four by guard Javante McCoy. Detroit has shown an impressive level of hustle in deflecting passes and diving for loose balls to fight for extra possessions.
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