Pistons Big Man Speaks on Mindset Leading Into Historic Performance
On Wednesday night, the Detroit Pistons managed to pick up their second consecutive victory. This win came largely in part due to a historic performance from Detroit's second-year standout.
The Pistons' top performer against the Toronto Raptors was center Jalen Duren. He recorded his third 20-20 game of the year, and only needed 28 minutes to do so. Duren finished the game with a stat line of 24 points, 23 rebounds, and five assists.
After the game, Duren was asked about his mindset heading into this matchup with the Raptors. The 20-year-old has been studying a lot of film lately is focused on just finishing the year strong.
"Just to get the win, honestly. You talk about running through the tape and finishing the year strong, so that’s kinda been my mindset since the All-Star break. Just running through the tape," Duren said.
With this performance, Duren pulled off a feat that has only been done once before. The Pistons center is just the second player in NBA history to record at least 20-20-5 at the age of 20 or younger.
With his third 20-20 game under his belt, Duren continues to have a dominant sophomore campaign. He is currently averaging a double-double on the year at 14.0 PPG and 11.9 RPG.
Duren's comments speak to the mindset of the Pistons overall in these final weeks. Even though they aren't fighting for the playoffs, they are still taking every game seriously. Cade Cunningham has led the charge since the All-Star break, coming out and making sure Detroit is a competitive team on a nightly basis. This approach should help them build positive momentum into 2025 and beyond.
