The Detroit Pistons closed out their preseason campaign with a gritty 129-125 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday, October 16, and if you weren’t watching, you missed Jalen Duren putting the league on notice. This wasn’t just another exhibition game, this was a statement from a Pistons squad that’s looking to prove everyone wrong, and Duren is at the heart of it.
This Pistons Squad Is Not Playing Around
Seriously, this Pistons squad came out firing at Little Caesars Arena, shooting a scorching 58% from the field while holding the Raptors to just 42.9%. Cade Cunningham was on fire, dropping 18 points and seven assists on 8-for-12 shooting, but let’s be real, the real show was Duren. He racked up 14 points and two steals on 6-for-9 shooting, even with six turnovers, showcasing a whole new level to his game. Ebuka Okorie, their first-round pick in June, stepped up huge too, dropping 14 points in the fourth quarter alone, going 4-for-4 from the field. He even iced the game with clutch free throws, extending the lead to 125-119 with 45.6 seconds left, then hitting another pair in the final seconds after Nimari Burnett cut the lead to one with a corner three. Yeah, the Raptors decided to bench their big guns like Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes, shutting down most of their regular-season rotation, but you still gotta get the job done, and the Pistons did, sticking with their starting five before eventually going 18-deep. They led by as many as 13, but even after a 13-0 fourth-quarter run by Toronto against the end of Detroit’s bench let the Raptors take a 100-99 lead, the Pistons closed it out strong.
Duren’s Offensive Bag Is UNREAL
Duren’s been out here acting like a whole new player. After missing the first two preseason games, he exploded for 24 points in just 15 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, and then followed that up with another 14 points and two steals on 6-for-9 shooting against Toronto. This wasn’t some fluke, fam. The dude’s got an improved handle and he’s knocking down short jumpers like it’s nothing. We saw two buckets that just screamed “future All-Star.” First, he sized up the 7-foot-5 Raptors big Jamarion Sharp and dropped a beautiful 10-foot fadeaway from midrange. Then, he followed that up with a controlled spinning layup after driving down the middle of the lane with 2:45 to play in the third quarter. This 22-year-old is doing what he did during his breakout All-NBA third-team campaign last year, but he’s leveled up, diversified his game, and is just straight-up breaking down defenses in ways we haven’t seen before.
Thompson Flashes and the Season Kicks Off
And don’t sleep on Ausar Thompson either, who’s flashing serious offensive growth. He put up 12 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting and dished out four assists. Early in the second quarter, he sized up his defender, lost Nimari Burnett with a crossover dribble, and finished with his left hand, showing that aggression we love to see. He was consistently making plays with the ball in his hands. John Collins also added 12 points and eight rebounds, helping round out a balanced attack. The Pistons wrap up preseason at 3-1, and you know what that means: it’s time for the real deal. They kick off the NBA season opener against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday at 3 p.m. EST. Cade Cunningham said it best, this Pistons squad is “a little slept-on,” and after watching Duren and Thompson light it up, it’s getting harder and harder to disagree.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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