Ausar Thompson shows he belongs in Detroit Pistons preseason OT loss to Suns, 130-126

The Detroit Pistons want to be a better defensive team this season. They fought in their preseason debut, overcoming a 26-point deficit in the third quarter to send the game into overtime. But ultimately, they fell short.

The Pistons ultimately were unable to overcome a 17-point deficit at the end of the first quarter, falling to the Phoenix Suns 130-126 at Little Caesars Arena. Stanley Umude hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final 70 seconds of the game to bring the Pistons within three, 122-119. Ausar Thompson, who finished with a double-double in his preseason debut (12 points, 10 rebounds, six assists), then tied the game with 6.9 seconds left with a corner 3 — his first of the day. Former Piston Saben Lee’s game-winning layup attempt missed at the buzzer, thanks to a contest by Bagley.

The Pistons had several comeback attempts throughout the game, getting within 10 points before halftime before falling apart afterward. But their final push to tie the game was led by a group of players on two-way and Exhibit 10 contracts — Umude, Jared Rhoden and Zavier Simpson. Head coach Monty Williams stuck with the five in overtime, but a layup by Suns wing Keon Johnson extended Phoenix' lead to 128-122 midway through OT

A hook by Simpson got the Pistons within two, 128-126, with 20 seconds left. But Suns wing Chimezie Metu made two free throws at the line to clinch the win.

Marvin Bagley III, who didn't check into the game until midway through the third quarter, led all players with 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting. Jaden Ivey finished with 15 points, and Killian Hayes (13 points, seven assists), Cade Cunningham (12 points, six assists, 5-for-15 shooting) and Isaiah Stewart (11 points) all reached double figures.

Phoenix made 17 of 20 shot attempts in the first quarter, and 57.1% in the first half. Detroit tightened defensively in the second half, after Kevin Durant (12 points), Devin Booker (12 points) and Bradley Beal (11 points) were done for the day. All three players checked out for good during the second quarter with the team leading by a blowout margin, and none logged more than 15 minutes.

Isaiah Livers (left ankle sprain) and Bojan Bogdanovic (right calf strain) both missed the game due to injuries. Jalen Duren (right ankle) sat out of the second half.

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Ausar Thompson starts, Jaden Ivey comes off bench

Before tipoff, coach Monty Williams acknowledged that he has a good idea of what his starting lineup will be on opening night. But with Livers and Bogdanovic both on the injury report, Williams will have to wait to get a fuller sense of how his rotations will shake out.

So while Sunday’s starting-five will likely change before the regular season tips off on Oct. 25, it still hints where Williams’ thinking is. Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, as expected, were the starting frontcourt. Rookie Ausar Thompson also got the start. The surprise was Jaden Ivey, as the second-year guard came off of the bench in favor of Alec Burks.

The Pistons will experiment with lineup combinations throughout preseason. On Sunday, Williams appeared to prioritize having spacing at shooting guard with two poor outside shooters in the lineup in Duren and Thompson. The unit also had its ball-handling needs covered with Cade Cunningham and Thompson, pushing Ivey to the bench.

It didn’t appear to impact Ivey’s rhythm. He was the first player off of the bench, checking in for Burks midway through the first quarter. He quickly found his groove, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers en route to nine points in the opening period.

Williams also said he will get a full look at his roster during preseason. He made quick rotations on Sunday as 10 different Pistons saw the floor in the first quarter, with Ivey, Killian Hayes, Joe Harris, James Wiseman and Marcus Sasser all coming off of the bench.

Bagley became the 11th Piston to see the floor midway through the third quarter, after Duren was ruled out of the second half with an ankle injury. Umude, Zavier Simpson and Jared Rhoden were all on the floor at the end of the fourth quarter, along with Thompson and Bagley, to bring the final tally of Pistons to log minutes to 14.

Thompson among Pistons with solid debuts

The 2023 fifth overall pick impressed during training camp last week. He did a little bit of everything on Sunday — showcasing the unique blend of athleticism, playmaking and defense that vaulted him toward the top of the lottery.

Thompson shot just 3-for-9 overall, but made up for some of it with four trips to the free throw line, where he went 5-for-8, and the biggest shot of the day with his late 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime. He made life easier for his teammates, getting easy looks at the rim by cutting and making use of the dunkers spot. He caught his defender sleeping toward the end of the first half, cutting down the middle of the lane for his lone dunk of the night.

He made smart reads with the ball as well, though he did also commit four turnovers. Two of his best assists were in the second quarter. He drove and found Cunningham in the corner for a 3-pointer, and then tossed a quick outlet pass to Cunningham to get him a layup on the other end after stealing the ball from Booker.

Other Pistons also performed well. Hayes missed his first few shots before settling into a rhythm, and finished the night shooting 5-for-8 overall. He looked comfortable from midrange, and also completed a 3-point play a few minutes before halftime to cut the deficit to 10.

Bagley, who appeared to be on track for a “Did Not Play” before Duren’s injury, maximized his minutes. The big man scored 16 of his 23 points in just 10 minutes, thriving as a lob threat and making most of his shot attempts. He and Wiseman, who started the third quarter in Duren’s stead, are likely competing to be the third big. Bagley made a strong argument in favor of himself.

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons get lesson from Phoenix Suns stars in preseason loss