5 months ago
- Pistons
- Updated: Jan. 01, 2026, 10:48 p.m.
- Published: Jan. 01, 2026, 10:43 p.m.
DETROIT — Taking a nonaccomplishment to nan Miami Heat successful nan Detroit Pistons’ first crippled of 2026 wasn’t nan only concerning improvement retired of Little Caesars Arena Thursday night.
Pistons halfway and second-leading scorer Jalen Duren exited nan crippled doubly owed to a correct ankle sprain. The 2nd exit ended his nighttime and Detroit (25-9) lost nan crippled 118-112.
In nan closing minutes of nan first half, Duren went driving to nan handbasket and rolled his ankle earlier making interaction pinch immoderate Heat players.
He vanished nan handbasket and remained connected nan tribunal for 3 much violative possessions, wherever he besides vanished an alley-oop provided by Jaden Ivey. But Duren checked retired successful nan last infinitesimal and went consecutive to nan locker room up of halftime.
Duren returned to commencement nan 2nd half, nevertheless he checked retired aft a small complete 3 minutes and nan Pistons announced he wouldn’t return for nan remainder of nan game.
“He wanted to springiness it a spell and spot really he felt, but conscionable didn’t consciousness that he could do nan things that he needed to do,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said postgame. “I don’t person immoderate accusation yet. I’ll get much accusation successful nan adjacent mates days.”
This is Duren’s 2nd clip dealing pinch a correct ankle sprain this season. Another rumor caused him to miss 2 games successful November.
While location are nary contiguous answers arsenic to nan severity of nan sprain, it’s adding to a once-again increasing wounded study for nan Pistons.
Veterans Tobias Harris and Caris LeVert were each absent from Thursday night’s crippled dealing pinch their ain ailments.
Without Duren, nan Pistons ended up losing nan rebound conflict pinch nan Heat, 47-41, conscionable nan seventh clip each play Detroit was out-rebounded by different team.
After a successful 2024-2025 season, Duren took a awesome measurement complete nan offseason and he’s now averaging a career-best 18.1 points per crippled pinch 10.8 rebounds and astir a artifact per crippled for nan first-place Pistons.
Any extended clip distant would beryllium unsmooth for Detroit connected some ends of nan court, peculiarly arsenic marquee matchups pinch nan New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets are accelerated approaching this month.
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Jacob Richman is simply a sports newsman for MLive.com and covers pro and assemblage teams crossed Michigan. Before joining MLive, Jacob covered assemblage sports successful Texas astatine LoneStarLive.com pinch a attraction connected Texas A&M and...
