Utah Jazz: Cold-shooting Jazz fall in Summer League opener

ORLANDO, Fla — The Utah Jazz started their summer with a loss, falling to the Detroit Pistons 76-73 in their Orlando Summer League opener Monday on the Orlando Magic's practice court at the Amway Center.

The Pistons took charge of the game in the second half, outscoring the Jazz 32-11 in the third quarter to take a 12-point lead they wouldn't surrender. The Jazz had only two players in double figures, led by Deron Washington's 13 points, while the Pistons had four players reach double figures, paced by Brandon Knight's 17-point, 6-assist performance.

The Jazz struggled to find a rhythm after getting off to a strong start. Shooting just 39 percent from the field, scoring was at a premium before they managed to make a late run, scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter. But it wasn't enough to make up for the 24 points they managed through the game's two middle quarters.

Despite the loss, Jazz Summer League coach Sydney Lowe was pleased with his team's overall performance. He does, however, expect to see the team improve on the defensive end of the floor in the next game.

"Overall, I was pleased," Lowe said. "I thought we lacked a little intensity on the defensive end a couple of times with our rotations. And we didn't communicate on our pick-and-roll defense as well as we needed to. Those are the two areas we need to get better in."