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Jalen Duren’s Final Playing Status for Pistons-Kings

Will Jalen Duren face the Kings on Thursday?
Justin Grasso|
November 20, 2022; Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
November 20, 2022; Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Detroit PistonsSacramento Kings

As the Detroit Pistons search for their third win in a row, they entered Thursday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings with a handful of key rotational players on the injury report.

The veteran center Jalen Duren was added ahead of the game as he deals with an ankle sprain.

According to the official NBA injury report, Duren was viewed as probable to play on Thursday. It would’ve taken a setback during shootaround in order for him not to play.

Fortunately, all is well for the center, who is on pace to appear in his 28th game this season.

Earlier this year, Duren battled an ankle injury. As the Pistons paid a visit to the Charlotte Hornets on November 6, Duren checked in for fewer than eight minutes. During the first quarter, the veteran center went down with an ankle injury, which ended his night prematurely.

The Pistons went into their next two games without Duren in the lineup. During the November 12 matchup against the Miami Heat, Duren made his return to the court. He checked in for 30 minutes against the Miami Heat. Since then, Duren has missed just one game. Recently, he dealt with a wrist injury.

The December 12 matchup between the Pistons and the Boston Celtics didn’t include Duren. It was a lopsided outing for a shorthanded Pistons team, who lost by 24 points. In the following game, Duren returned for the matchup against the Heat, helping the Pistons secure another win over Miami this year.

Over the last four games, Duren has averaged ten points and 11 rebounds rebounds. While he hasn’t had the strongest start to his third season with the Pistons, Duren has been picking up his play on both ends recently.

In 27 games this year, Duren has produced nine points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one block per game. While his scoring numbers are down, the efficiency hasn’t taken a hit. Duren is averaging roughly 70 percent from the field, which marks a career-high. The veteran will get a chance to help the Pistons try and improve to three wins in a row on Thursday night in Sacramento.

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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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