Detroit Pistons: Jarrett Jack Credits Halftime Spark In 4-Point Win Over Toronto Raptors

During the Detroit Pistons’ four-game exhibition slate, the squad looked distinctly different before and after Jalen Duren made his return to the lineup, but that much could have been expected given the 22-year old’s All-Star talent. 

With JD back in the mix, the Pistons looked much more like the 60-win squad that tore through the Eastern Conference last year, and they punctuated their 2026 preseason campaign with a 129-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. 

In what was his first game back on Wednesday, Duren went off for a 24-point performance in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the big man followed up that sensational debut with a 14-point effort against the Raptors through three quarters. Duren looked explosive and played with a chip on his shoulder in both of those games, which is exactly what the Pistons need heading into the regular season. 

But last night, what the Pistons needed was a swift kick in the right direction at halftime to make sure that the squad was able to close out the tight win. 

”A lot of the talk during halftime was ‘we know we’re better than this. This is not our standard,’ Pistons assistant coach Jarrett Jack explained after the game. “So, before we go out and face any of our opponents, what we do and what we bring as part of our controllables is something we have at the forefront, and [I’m] glad to see our guys took on the challenge.”

While there were double-digit lead changes in last night’s win, the Pistons felt their advantage slip away at a crucial juncture late in the fourth quarter. By that point, Detroit had already subbed out their starters near the end of the third, so the Pistons were relying on a youthful final five to close out the game. 

From a development standpoint, rookie point guard Ebuka Okorie was fortunate to be placed in another crucial late-game circumstance to start his NBA career. Despite the pressure on his shoulders as the team’s floor general when facing a deficit with time ticking away, Okorie consistently broke down the defense and hit big shots with pressure in the air. Okorie went a perfect 4-for-4 from the field for 14 points in the final frame and gave the Pistons the timely boost that they needed to finish the preseason with a 3-1 record. 

During his preseason debut last week, Okorie sunk a clutch game-winning scoop shot with less than 10 seconds left to put the Pistons back on top, and the dynamic rookie was able to keep Detroit in the driver’s seat during a back-and-forth final sequence against the Raptors last night. 

Jack, who was a point guard himself in the pros, mentioned that Okorie acquitted himself well during the preseason period where players are jockeying for position on the depth chart. But rather than alluding to Okorie’s difficult challenge in unseating Daniss Jenkins for the second-string spot, Jack suggested that the team’s depth was a strength of Detroit Basketball instead of an issue. 

Moving forward, the Pistons have a few days to strategize before hosting the Boston Celtics for the NBA’s regular season opener on Tuesday, Oct. 20.