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Pistons Coach's Bold Statement on Jalen Duren's Performance vs Spurs

Pistons big man comes out of the break on a strong note.
Kevin McCormick|
Feb 21, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts after dunking during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Feb 21, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts after dunking during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

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Detroit Pistons

Coming out of the All-Star break, the Detroit Pistons are a team many in the basketball world have their eye on. Following a massive turnaround this season, they are in a position to punch their ticket for the playoffs. Despite being off for over a week, the young squad doesn't seem to have lost their focus.

On Friday night, the Pistons hit the road for their first game out of the break. They traveled to Austin, Texas to face off against a Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs team. Detroit took the win in convincing fashion by a final score of 125-110.

There were numerous standouts for the Pistons in this matchup, but Jalen Duren's play is one of the biggest takeaways. He did it all for Detroit in Friday's win, finishing with a stat line of 21 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. On top of his all-around play, Duren also threw down some eye-popping highlight dunks.

While speaking with the media postgame, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was asked his thoughts on Duren's performance against the Spurs. He had nothing but praise for the third year big man after what was one of arguably his best outings of the season thus far.

"He's hooping, there's no other way around it," Bickerstaff told reporters. "He's dominating both sides of the floor."

Duren went into the break on a high note, posting at least 16 points and 12 rebounds in two of his last three games. Even with the time off, he's managed to keep that momentum rolling out of the break.

Looking ahead, the Pistons are going to need contributions up and down the roster as they battle for playoff positioning. As someone who can create mismatches with his size and athleticism, Duren is someone the Pistons will be calling upon in the coming weeks. If he can continue to put on showings like the one he had Friday, he could end up being a major X-factor for this team down the stretch.

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Kevin McCormick
KEVIN MCCORMICK

Since graduating from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management, he's gone on to pursue a career in journalism covering the NBA. Some of his previous bylines include 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and Sportskeeda.

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