Thunder Cruise Past Pistons

Thunder Cruise Past Pistons By Melanie CurtsingerJuly 11, 2012 ORLANDO – The Oklahoma City Thunder controlled the tempo from the get-go and cruised to their first victory of the week, 83-62, over the Detroit Pistons at the 2012 AirTran Airways Orlando Pro Summer League. While the win was the first for OKC, it conversely marked the first loss for the Pistons on day three of summer league action at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The Thunder jumped out to an early 26-17 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back, cruising to a 42-29 lead at the half and leading by as many as 24 points late in the game. Turnovers were a problem all game for the Pistons, who committed 15 first-half miscues and 23 total that resulted in 24 points for Oklahoma City. The Thunder also took a commanding advantage in fast break points as a result of those giveaways, scoring 18 compared to Detroit’s two while adding 42 points in the paint. Five players scored in double figures for the Thunder, led by Garrett Temple, Lazar Hayward and Reggie Jackson’s 15 points. Hayward and Jackson continue to be two of the top scorers in the summer league, averaging 16.0 and 15.7 points, respectively, through three games. Detroit was led by Austin Daye, who put in this third consecutive impressive performance by scoring 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point territory. Daye is shooting 63 percent from the field and 50 percent from downtown in summer league play while averaging 18.0 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per contest.