By Juan Carlos Blanco
Third-year forward Eric Moreland’s standout all-around effort spearheaded the Detroit Pistons to a comfortable 103-78 victory over the New York Knicks in an Orlando Summer League matchup Sunday at Amway Center.
The Pistons largely had their way with the Knicks’ defense throughout the majority of the game, with five players ultimately scoring in double digits. They were particularly effective from long distance, shooting 50 percent (13-for-26) from behind the arc as part of a 52.2 percent success rate from the field overall. While the rebounding battle was dead even at 39-39, Detroit was more successful taking care of the ball, committing only eight turnovers while eliciting 13 from New York.
Moreland appeared in only 11 games for the Sacramento Kings following a college career at Oregon State, but made quite the impression Sunday. The 6-foot-10 power forward finished with 15 points, six rebounds, an assist and four blocks, all over 24 minutes. First-round pick Luke Kennard and Henry Ellenson followed with matching 14-point efforts, with the former adding five rebounds, three assists and two steals and the latter supplying seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Lorenzo Brown, another member of the Pistons’ Summer League squad boasting NBA experience, managed 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal. Pierre Jackson was efficient while contributing 12 points, seven assists and a rebound in just 16 minutes.
The Knicks were led by the promising Chasson Randle, who averaged 5.3 points in 26 games with New York and Philadelphia last season. The 24-year-old guard totaled 16 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal, with the one negative being his 29.4 percent success rate from the field. Damyean Dotson registered 13 points, four assists and a steal. Louis Labeyrie posted a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double over 20 minutes, while Marshall Plumlee matched his scoring total and added nine rebounds, an assist and a block. Jamel Artis poured in 11 points and added a pair of boards and a block. First-round pick Frank Ntilikina sat out the contest with a sore right knee.
The Pistons next take the court against the Miami Heat for a July 4th tilt, while the Knicks face off with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday afternoon.
