Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Omari Sankofa II: Robinson: "How we started last series was not up to our standard. I know (Duren) was discouraged about how he came out in that series. I give him credit for maintaining the consistency of the process, and that series was a microcosm of how effective he can be when he stays at it"
Hunter Patterson: J.B. on where Duren was most impactful: “His all-around game is effective for us. Down the stretch in particular his will to want to go get the ball, the offensive rebounds and how he imposed his will to give us extra possessions — thought he did a great job for us.”
Omari Sankofa II: JB on Duren and the two-man game with Cade: "The coverages are different, so they know their outlets …. But I'm not here to hop on the scoring piece. JD does so much for us all around that we know he’s capable of scoring, but his impact is felt no matter what."
Omari Sankofa II: FINAL: Pistons 111, Cavaliers 101. They take a 1-0 series lead. Pistons led by 18 in the 1st and spend the rest of the game battling back runs. Cavs tied it at 93. Duren answered with six straight. Cunningham: 23 pts, 7 assts Harris: 20 pts Duren: 11 pts, 12 rebs
Advertisement
Keith Langlois: FINAL: Pistons 116, Magic 94. Cade Cunningham 32 & 12 on 10 of 18/4 of 6/8 of 10, Tobias Harris 30, 5 of 7 from 3, Jalen Duren a big game, 15 & 15. Pistons come from 3-1 down to beat Orlando as they did in 2003. Pistons host Cleveland-Toronto winner Game 1, 7 p.m. Tuesday
There is an anticipation that Mark Williams, like Detroit's Jalen Duren and Utah's Walker Kessler, will attempt to generate interest from Chicago in restricted free agency since the Bulls are projected to wield some $65 million in salary cap space. Projecting the Bulls' offseason intentions with certitude will naturally be easier once they've installed a new head of basketball operations, but Chicago's lack of a proven center on the current roster is undeniable.
Hunter Patterson: J.B. on balancing Stew’s minutes with Duren’s: “It’s the decision of, in the moment, who’s doing what with what pairings and what groups. We go back and study the numbers of the groups that play well together, the lineups that play well together and manipulate it around that.”
JB Bickerstaff is, like his father, stoic on the sideline. He’ll jump his guys when necessary, but his trait is being even-keeled in moments of challenge. There wasn’t a lot of yelling from him in the two days after Orlando came to Little Caesars Arena and out-toughed Detroit in Game 1. “It’s very calming,” Pistons center Jalen Duren said. “He’s a guy that doesn’t add on extra pressures. He’s a guy that kind of mellows everything out and says, ‘OK, this is what’s happening, we’re going to deal with it, and we’re going to get through it. And we’re going to learn from it together.’ It’s been great all season.”
Now, they’re a loss away from an early vacation. The Pistons and Duren are in search of answers. “It ain’t over, bro,” Jalen Duren said. “Teams have come back from down 3-1 so many times. It wouldn’t be the first time in history. We’ve got to keep it one at a time, go protect the crib and keep moving from there.
Advertisement
Omari Sankofa II: JB Bickerstaff said several times Jalen Duren needs more touches: "They’re trying to crowd him and put a bunch of bodies on him to take him away. It's something that we’ve worked on ways to create opportunities, create space for him ... if he gets his touches we like what he’s capable of."
Duren credits Isaiah Stewart, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward known as one of the league's most fearsome players, with indoctrinating him into the Pistons style. From their earliest workouts together four years ago, Stewart banged Duren whenever he could, bringing an edge to every possession. Over time, their competition formed a tag team built on force. "We battle, man," Stewart says. "We still battle every day. We push each other and when you have a stablemate like that and you are working eight months a year, you grow a bond. You grow a brotherhood."
“Jalen Duren is figuring out how strong he is on the floor," Pistons forward Tobias Harris told ESPN. "He's figuring out ways to make guys better. And I always told him early on in the year, your demeanor, your voice, your energy is so crucial for our whole group, especially defensively. He's done a great job just taking over and figuring out how good he is." The Pistons are going to need that Duren in Game 2 -- something he addressed Tuesday -- after the Magic successfully committed their Game 1 defensive scheme to stop him. He had just eight points and seven rebounds. "The scary thing is he can be a whole lot better too," Harris said. "And he knows that."
