NBA: Rockets overwhelm Pistons in battle between top two draft picks
Las Vegas, Nevada - The two top-rated players in last month’s draft took their first steps in the basketball spotlight on Tuesday night as they squared off in an NBA Summer League matchup out west.
Cade Cunningham (19), the number one overall pick, took his Detroit Pistons up against Jalen Green’s Rockets, but it ended up being the Houston player's night, as he led his team to a 111-91 win.
Green finished the game with 25 points and five rebounds, as Houston came together to outshoot the Pistons from behind the arc, making 14 of 32 attempts to Detroit’s dismal seven out of 35 shot attempts. The difference in the long-distance shooting was a defining factor in the Rocket’s impressive win.
The defense was another focal point in this game between both squads. While the game was tight in the first quarter, the Rockets shut down Cunningham enough in the second to hold the Pistons to 15 points. That break in momentum for Detroit led to a deficit they couldn’t come back from in the second half.
Cunningham did score 20 points, including four of the Pistons’ seven three-pointers. But that wasn’t enough and his team is now 0-2 so far in the summer league. Green’s fellow Rockets rookies Alperen Sengun and Josh Christopher chipped in with 21 and 15 points, respectively.
The Rockets will return with another game against the Raptors on Thursday, while the Pistons take on the Knicks on Friday night.
Cover photo: 123RF / moovstock & charnsitr