Preseason or not, Monty Williams praised the Detroit Pistons on Thursday after mounting a 21-point second-half comeback to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Montreal.
Rookie Marcus Sasser helped lead the charge, too.
The Pistons saw their largest deficit of the evening early in the third quarter. They managed to cut it to 12 points entering the final frame when each team mostly opted to rest their starters, clearing the way for Sasser & Co. to go to work.
Sasser responded by producing 12 of his 17 total points in the fourth quarter en route to the 128-125 victory. He added eight assists and five rebounds as the Pistons improved to 1-1 in the preseason.
Williams liked the effort, via James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
Williams on Sasser: "He's a guy who plays with a great edge, competes every single day in practice. And he's understanding … if you compete and defend, you're going to find yourself on the floor."
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) October 13, 2023
He had his shot working, dropping in three 3s in the contest, and found success getting into the paint and finishing at the rim with his athleticism and shiftiness. His penetration also allowed him to get others involved for easy looks.
The effort by Sasser was evident as the 25th pick was seemingly everywhere on the court. He affected the game on both ends and was a key reason the Pistons won.
Marcus Sasser was hooping last night in Montreal:
17 PTS | 5 REB | 8 AST | 3-4 3PA
Not only did he lead the Pistons to victory with his offense, but OKC players shot only 28.6% (!!) when guarded by Sasser 🔒
Excellent game from the gritty guard 📈 pic.twitter.com/gn1VNFO5zJ
— Jack Kelly (@jack_kelly_313) October 13, 2023
Williams was proud to see how the Pistons responded after trailing by over 20 points early in the third quarter. The veteran coach is attempting to change the culture in Detroit, and that win certainly showed how the team can respond to adversity.
With Sasser now in the picture, along with Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and others, the Pistons appear poised to improve upon their league-worst record from a year ago.
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