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Detroit Pistons Lose Key Starter to Ejection vs Rockets

Jalen Duren was forced to leave the game early.
Justin Grasso|
Speed finger painter, Jarred Emerson, unveils the new Detroit Pistons logo on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Campus Martius Park in Detroit. Pistons Ec077
Speed finger painter, Jarred Emerson, unveils the new Detroit Pistons logo on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Campus Martius Park in Detroit. Pistons Ec077 | Elaine Cromie, Detroit Free Press

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Detroit Pistons

Jalen Duren’s night concluded early for the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

As the Pistons and the Houston Rockets battled it out, Duren was whistled for a foul away from the ball, which went to review. Unfortunately for the Pistons, the starting center was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul call and ejected from the game.

via @TheHoopCentral: Jalen Duren has been ejected for this elbow on Amen Thompson.

As Duren left the game, he embraced the hostile Houston crowd by tugging at his own jersey to highlight Detroit, channeling Isaiah Stewart, who pulled off a similar move last season.

Going forward, Duren could be facing further punishment. The NBA will have to decide whether a suspension or a fine is necessary for Duren.

During the first quarter of action, Duren appeared in the game for a little under eight minutes of action. He made both of his shots from the field, totaling four points. The veteran center came down with four rebounds, blocked one shot, and snatched a steal.

In the second quarter, Duren had checked in for four minutes of action. He tacked on another two points to bring his total to six points, along with six rebounds. He left the court after 12 minutes had been played by the veteran big man.

While Duren was the only player ejected through the first half of Friday’s action, the game included plenty of fouls from key players. On Houston’s side, Amen Thompson had four fouls, while his team totaled for 12.

On Detroit’s side, Isaiah Stewart had four, Ron Holland, Cade Cunningham, and Duncan Robinson each had three, while Ausar Thompson and Duren had two.

Heading into the second half, the Pistons will carry a 63-56 lead. Detroit is working on bouncing back and grabbing its first win after the Pistons came up short against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

In that first game, Duren had checked in for just under 20 minutes of action as a starter. He produced points on 58 percent of his shots from the field, scoring 15 points. Along with his scoring, Duren came down with six rebounds and had one assist, one steal, and two blocks. Duren was a minus-nine throughout the 115-11 loss against the Bulls.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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