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October 6, 2026 at 2:26 PM UTC

Postgame Report

Pistons Hold Off Suns, 109-107, in Preseason Opener

Detroit opened its preseason with a two-point win over Phoenix at Little Caesars Arena, getting 14 points from Ronald Holland II and a debut turn from rookie Ebuka Okorie, while Jalen Duren sat out.

Pistons 109, Suns 107.
Pistons 109, Suns 107.

The Pistons began their preseason Monday night at Little Caesars Arena with a 109-107 win over the Suns, a game that stayed within a possession or two for long enough to hold the interest of a crowd that knew better than to read much into it. Ronald Holland II led Detroit with 14 points in 24 minutes, the most of anyone on the floor. Paul Reed added 10 points and seven rebounds as a starter.

The backdrop was the contract. Detroit finalized Jalen Duren's five-year, $200 million extension late last week, and the money now travels with him into every game, even ones like this. The Pistons will see Washington, Minnesota and Toronto before they open the 2026-27 season at home against Boston on Oct. 20, so there is time for the answers to arrive.

Duren, listed as a game-time decision with an undisclosed injury, did not play. The Pistons did not offer more than that, and the game moved on without him. Rookie guard Ebuka Okorie, the No. 17 pick out of Stanford, made his first appearance in front of the home crowd and scored seven points in 10 minutes, with a rebound and an assist. Four other Pistons starters also reached 10 points: Reed, Ausar Thompson, Cade Cunningham and John Collins.

The marquee matchup was brief. Devin Booker scored 13 points with three rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes for Phoenix. Cunningham had 10 points, two rebounds and an assist in the same amount of time. Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks each added 11 for the Suns, who came up two points short.

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