Jalen Duren suddenly the powerhouse of Pistons' playoff surge again

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free PressWed, May 6, 2026 at 9:10 AM UTC

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Jalen Duren looked like himself.

That’s all the Detroit Pistons needed from their star big man in a commanding performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Tuesday, May 5, at Little Caesars Arena.

The 22-year-old was responsible for three of the loudest and most consequential baskets of the night, and they came in quick succession. With the game tied at 93, Duren finished three straight dunks – two from dump-off passes from Cade Cunningham, the third courtesy of a one-handed bouncer from Cunningham from just past the halfcourt line.

It gave the Pistons a lead they didn't relinquish en route to a 111-101 win.

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But Duren already had impacted the game in other ways before that pivotal stretch.

The Cavaliers couldn’t keep him off of the offensive glass. He read the floor. Defensively, he protected the rim and executed the Pistons' coverages.

The totality of Duren’s contributions can’t be replicated. After a slow start to the postseason, he has asserted himself in becoming one of the best players on the floor for 10 straight quarters, dating back to the Pistons’ incredible comeback against the Orlando Magic in Game 6 on Friday.

Tuesday brought his second straight double-double – 11 points, 12 rebounds (seven on offense) plus four assists and two blocks.

“His all around game is effective for us and I thought, down the stretch in particular, his will to want to go get the ball and the offensive rebounds that he had, he imposed his will on the game to give us extra possessions,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the win. “Defensively being in the right spot to win some of the early penetration, showing his frame. I thought he did a great job for us all around.”

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Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) dunks against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) during the second half of Game 1 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

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Among the Pistons’ many issues during their early playoff flop was Duren, who didn’t look like himself as they fell behind the Orlando Magic, 3-1. On offense, Duren found little room to operate in a packed paint. On defense, he frequently was too far from the action to make a play. On the boards, Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr. won the early battles. But he found a renaissance – along with the rest of the Pistons – in the second half of Game 6.

And against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Duren was instrumental in winning the possession game. The Pistons had more rebounds – total and offensive – a 19-to-11 edge in second-chance points and 19 takeaways.

“The way we started our last series was not up to our standard across the board and I know he was discouraged with how he came out in that series,” teammate Duncan Robinson said of Duren. “I just give him so much credit for maintaining the consistency of the process throughout that series, and I really thought that series was a microcosm of how effective he can be when he continues to stay at it, because Game 7 was his most impactful game, in my opinion. It wasn’t perfect, it’s not maybe what people want to write about in terms of some of the stuff he was doing this year, with 25 points and 18 rebounds and whatever.

“It’s impactful and it’s winning and he just carried that into tonight, and I think coach does a really good job of helping these younger guys understand that this time of year is just about winning and what you can do to try to help us win. He obviously does so much for us and it’s not just about scoring points. His impact goes long, long beyond that. But obviously he’s capable of having a 20-20 game, and we expect him to have one at some point. It’s moreso the consistency of what he does on a night-to-night basis.”

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) during the second half of Game 1 of second round of NBA playoffs at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

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Duren’s rim protection helped the Pistons get off to a strong defensive start, holding the Cavaliers to 8-for-22 shooting in the first quarter for an early 18-point lead. As the game progressed, his winning plays stacked.

In the fourth quarter, he swatted Thomas Bryant's would-be dunk, then grabbed a rebound after Ron Holland missed a free throw on the other end. Duren quickly located Robinson behind the arc, and he knocked down a 3-pointer to extend their lead to 91-82. Before his three straight dunks to give the Pistons their late breathing room, he ignited the offense with a block on James Harden.

It wasn’t a flawless 48 minutes, but the Pistons never trailed in the second half. It was a performance that showed how high their floor is when Duren’s engaged in every facet.

“I thought it was really good,” Cunningham said. "He’s gotta dominate down there. It’s going to be a good series for him. Getting him going was huge for us and I think he’s going to do enough on his own. Just finding him in his spots and allowing him to attack downhill is big.”

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jalen Duren shakes off slow start, powers Detroit Pistons playoff run

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