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Pistons Coach Reveals Crucial Injury Update on Jalen Duren

What's Jalen Duren's injury diagnosis?
Justin Grasso|
Oct 26, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) is introduced and hi-fives forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) during the in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) is introduced and hi-fives forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) during the in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

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Detroit PistonsCharlotte Hornets

The Detroit Pistons were down a man before the start of the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

During the first quarter of action, the team saw its starting big man Jalen Duren roll his ankle. While Duren stuck around on the court for the remainder of his first shift, it would be his only showing for the night.

At halftime, the Pistons confirmed that Duren would not return to the court against the Hornets. Instead, Isaiah Stewart started in his place during the second half.

What’s the Diagnosis?

On Thursday, the Pistons returned to practice after arriving home following a last-second loss against the Hornets on the road.

Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff addressed reporters after the session, revealing Duren has suffered a sprained ankle.

"They're evaluating him,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “He's doing treatment now. We'll know more at the end of the day or in the morning."

On Friday, the Pistons are back on their home court to face the Atlanta Hawks. It sounds like the team is unaware of Duren’s playing status for the time being.

Without Duren on the floor, the Pistons are likely to start Stewart while having the offseason acquisition Paul Reed take up the reserve minutes.

On Wednesday in Charlotte, Stewart checked in for 26 minutes. He scored six points on six shots, came down with seven rebounds, and blocked a shot. He also dished out six assists.

Paul Reed served the Pistons well, too, checking in for 12 minutes. During that time, he was perfect from the field, scoring 13 points. He also had two rebounds, two steals, and a block.

The Pistons will have a better idea of Duren’s status on Thursday night at the earliest. Detroit will host the Hawks at 7 PM ET on Friday.

Published
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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