Playing only the fourth quarter, rookie Ebuka Okorie made the most of limited minutes, helping the Detroit Pistons defeat the Phoenix Suns to open the preseason at home.
Okorie finished with seven points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in the 109-107 victory at Little Caesars Arena on Monday. He went 3-for-4 from the field and was a plus-seven in 10 minutes, 5 seconds of work off the bench.
With their starters resting, the 19-year-old hit the go-ahead layup with 5.8 seconds left to send the Pistons to the win. He managed to convert the difficult attempt in between traffic, which drew praise from coach J.B. Bickerstaff afterward.
"He is patient, and he doesn't get sped up," Bickerstaff said. "He is not overwhelmed by the moment. It is something
that we've seen pretty consistently. His demeanor doesn't waver in those types of moments. He was just so poised, and he got to his shot. At that age, to have that ability to finish the way he can is unique; not a lot of guys can do that. That is a step ahead for him. To finish over size and traffic with either hand, he is ahead of the game for sure."
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Okorie broke the ACC freshman record for single-season scoring average (23.2) and 30-point games (8) at Stanford. He also set program freshman records for points (719), field goals (234) and free throws (188), while ranking second in steals (49).
The 6-foot-2 Okorie was highly touted for his ability to pull up from virtually anywhere and put tremendous pressure on defenses, averaging 7.3 free-throw attempts per game. He also registered eight 30-point performances, the most by a freshman in conference history.
Okorie faces an uphill battle to see consistent minutes this season, with so many established players ahead of him in the rotation. But he wants to prove himself and keep showing his poise and maturity whenever he is called into action.
"I think it just comes with a lot of reps," Okorie said, via Coty M. Davis of the Detroit News. "A lot of reps and a lot of film. That's just kind of how I am, really poised when I get out on the court. I just go out there and try to play my game and help the team win."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff reveals a unique trait of Ebuka Okorie
