The Pistons slowly pulled away in the second half on the way to a 118-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press
Dwane Casey is growing to fear afternoon start times.
After watching his Detroit Pistons sleepwalk through Sunday’s 4 p.m. tip against the Phoenix Suns, Casey jokingly threatened to hold shootaround in the wee morning hours the next afternoon game.
But he could joke because Stanley Johnson and the rest of the bench came to the rescue in a 118-107 victory at Little Caesars Arena.
Langston Galloway scored 15 points and Johnson added 14 points.
Johnson also helped to limit Suns star Devin Booker in the fourth quarter when the Pistons (10-7) took control.
The Pistons bench outscored the Suns bench by 15 (47-32).
Although the Suns (4-15) were coming off a victory at Milwaukee, the Pistons were still facing a bad team.
That helped matters, although the Pistons only led 62-60 at halftime.
The Suns took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, 84-83.
Then Johnson came alive.
A Johnson steal and lay-up gave the Pistons a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
His 3-pointer gave the Pistons an 88-86 lead with 10:49 left — a lead the Pistons would never relinquish.
And his 3-pointer with 6:23 left pushed the lead to 103-91.
Johnson shot the ball well, going 5-for-9 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range.
But he played the entire fourth quarter for one main reason — Booker.
Fans still lament former team president Stan Van Gundy’s decision to bypass the Grand Rapids native for Johnson in the 2015 draft.
Booker didn’t make them feel any better with a game-high 37 points.
But Johnson did cool him a little.
Booker missed his first three shots when he reentered the game at the 10:04 mark of the fourth quarter.
Johnson recalled their AAU days after the game.
“We take it way back and act like it was just me and him up there,” Johnson said. “I tried to get some stops and he elevated his game to another level.
“There’s really no stopping him, but I go out there and try to slow him down and get a little more physical with him.”
Johnson received some help.
The Pistons started blitzing Booker whenever he came off pick-and-rolls or screens.
“It was an adjustment we made to pretty much just try to blitz him on certain pick-and-rolls, to get the ball out of his hands, make other players make plays and try to be more aggressive with him,” Reggie Bullock said. “Stanley got on him and was aggressive with him, frustrated him a little bit and tried to make other players win the game for them.”
That wasn’t happening.
Rookie center Deandre Ayton scored 25 points for the Suns, but T.J. Warren was ejected in the first half after the two technical fouls, further depleting the Suns’ talent.
Every member of the Pistons bench produced a positive plus-minus to make up for the sluggish starters.
The Pistons struggled early with afternoon start times in losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets.
“They did a good job and were ready to play,” Casey said of the bench. “It’s something about these afternoon games that we’ve got to drink some coffee in the morning, wake up a little bit earlier, have a 6 o’clock in the morning shootaround – something to get us going.
“No matter what time of day it is, our personality has to be ready to play.”
Follow Vince Ellis on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.
