The Detroit Pistons put up a gallant stand against the Oklahoma City Thunder before falling short in overtime, 114-110, at Paycom Center on Monday.
Despite playing with a badly depleted roster, the Pistons almost upset the defending champions. Detroit was stricken with injuries, as it was without the All-Star duo of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, starters Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson, and key reserve Isaiah Stewart.
One of the guys who stepped up for the Pistons was Kevin Huerter, who was inserted into the starting unit and tallied 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting, six rebounds, six assists, and one steal. He played a team-high 38 minutes.
Detroit Free Press' Omari Sankofa II pointed out Huerter's laudable performance.
“Huerter was tremendous tonight. That trade might pay dividends in the playoffs,” wrote Sankofa on X.
He was referring to the Pistons' three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves in February. It sent Huerter to the Pistons, while the team shipped Jaden Ivey, who landed on the Bulls.
Essentially, it was a one-for-one exchange between the Pistons and the Bulls, with Huerter taking Ivey's spot in the rotation. While his numbers may not pop out, the 27-year-old veteran has played a key role off the bench.
The midseason trade has proved to be even more valuable for Detroit after the Bulls waived Ivey amid his concerning behavior on social media. While it was an unfortunate development, Detroit was right in parting ways with the 24-year-old guard.
Ivey wanted to stay with the Pistons, but the NBA can be cruel.
For his part, Huerter has quickly endeared himself to the fans in Motown, averaging 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals in 19 games with the Pistons.
