Jerami Grant's huge game leads Detroit Pistons to 110-105 OT comeback win over Suns
Jerami Grant had a quiet first half, by his recent standards. He had 10 points on just three shots.
He turned up in the second half and overtime, though, to give the Detroit Pistons their second win of the season.
Grant scored eight points in overtime, including a dagger drive to the rim and 3-pointer in the final minute, to help the Pistons complete a 23-point comeback and defeat the surging Phoenix Suns, 110-105. Grant finished 31 points (10-for-15 overall, 3-for-5 from 3-point range) and 10 rebounds.
The Pistons trailed 23 points in the second quarter, but trimmed the deficit to eight at halftime and kept it close the rest of the way.
After ending the fourth quarter tied at 93, the Pistons opened overtime with a 9-0 run to improve to 2-7.
Blake Griffin had one of his better performances of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Delon Wright had 16 points, six assists and five rebounds starting at point guard in place of the injured Kilian Hayes. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 23 points, and former Piston Langston Galloway scored 17 points in just 12 minutes.
[ Killian Hayes' hip injury: Surgeon explains paths to recovery, future outlook ]
Frank Jackson makes his debut
After Hayes injured his hip Monday, Pistons coach Dwane Casey said he wanted to get a look at his pair of two-way guards, Saben Lee and Frank. He did just that this week.
Lee made his NBA debut on Wednesday, and Jackson made his first appearance in a Pistons uniform during the second quarter on Friday. He tallied three points and an assist in 10 minutes.
Jackson, who was drafted 31st by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2017 draft, was traded to the Pelicans on draft night and spent his first two seasons in New Orleans. He officially signed a two-way contract with the Pistons on Dec. 27.
He looked defensively engaged during his brief stretch and made two nice offensive plays — knocking down a 3-pointer, and feeding Jahlil Okafor for a dunk after driving to the rim and drawing the defense away from the paint. He was one of the most athletic guards in his draft class, and with Hayes facing a lengthy absence, we could see Jackson receive more opportunities to show what he can do.
PERFECT FIT: Why Wayne Ellington is the ideal glue guy for Detroit Pistons
OPT OUT: Pistons are no longer affiliated with Grand Rapids Drive
Josh Jackson struggles in return
The Pistons eagerly anticipated Jackson coming back from a sprained ankle, which he suffered against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. After missing two games, he returned and started on Friday against the team that drafted him fourth overall in 2017.
Jackson was one of Detroit’s most efficient scorers entering the game, averaging 15.5 points on 49.3% shooting. Friday might’ve been his first real off night of the season, as he finished with five points on 2-for-11 shooting.
His struggles weren’t isolated to just him. The Pistons largely struggled to score outside of Grant, Wright and Griffin. Their excellent free throw shooting and frequency in getting to the line (25-xx29 went a long way in keeping the score relatively close for much of the night
Jackson will get at least one more opportunity to face his former team this season, as the Pistons will travel to Phoenix on Feb. 5.
Galloway gets his revenge game
During his three seasons with the Pistons from 2017-20, Galloway was one of Detroit’s steadiest presences off of the bench with his shooting and defense. He signed with the Suns this offseason, and Casey said on the first day of training camp that he wished there was a way for Galloway to return to Detroit this season.
Galloway might’ve circled this game on the calendar, because he erupted in the second quarter to help the Suns take a 23-point lead, their biggest of the night. In less than six minutes in the quarter, he scored 17 points and made all six of his shots, and all five of his 3-pointers. It ended up being his final point tally, as he played fewer than four minutes in the second half.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons rally past Phoenix Suns, 110-105, led by Jerami Grant
