OKC Thunder fall to Pistons in high-scoring matchup

In each team’s second preseason game, the Thunder lost to the Detroit Pistons 128-125 Thursday night, despite Lu Dort putting on a show. The Thunder led most of the night, but a late run by the Pistons was enough to steal the game.

The OKC Thunder brought the show on the road using a home preseason game in Montreal, Canada. This allowed Lu Dort to play in his hometown for the first time since he was a Junior in High School during the AAU circuit.

Lu Dort puts on a show for hometown faithful as OKC Thunder fall late to Pistons in Montreal.

With this game being in Lu Dort’s hometown of Montreal, his teammates fed him the ball early and often. After missing his first attempt, Lu Dort knocked down his second 3-point shot to get the scoring started.

Lu Dort finished the first quarter with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He ended the night with 24 points and five 3-pointers, but he was not the only Canadian making things happen for the Thunder.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got a quick start with ten first-quarter points in his preseason debut. While it was his first game since the FIBA World Cup, he was in midseason form when it came to drawing fouls, finishing 5-of-6 from the foul line.

Detroit turned it over 20 times, leading to 30 Thunder points, but Detroit still finished with six players scoring 10+ points. James Wiseman led the way for the Pistons with 20 points and ten rebounds.

Along with Gilgeous-Alexander making his debut, the Thunder’s new starting five also made its first appearance. It was a successful first outing.

The core group of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren helped lead the Thunder to a 16-point halftime lead. In the first half, all had impressive individual performances, as four of them had already scored in double figures, while Giddey was nearly on pace for a triple-double.

Holmgren continued to show his prowess as a rim protector with three blocks against Detroit. Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander also showed their defensive abilities with three steals apiece.

Late in the third quarter, Kenrich Williams left the game with an apparent injury and did not return.

After missing Monday’s game against the Spurs with an ankle injury, Vasilije Micic made his first appearance in a Thunder uniform. Micic showed off his playmaking with three assists and also scored seven points.

The Thunder will head to Charlotte for their next game against the Hornets on Sunday. Then, a couple of games back in Oklahoma will finish the five-game preseason slate.