Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren is in the midst of a monster breakout season
During last night’s 27-point win at home for Detroit, the Pistons had an unfamiliar luxury of a deep bench to turn to against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. With Tobias Harris back in the lineup, the Pistons had their usual starting lineup back in place, and the team’s depth helped Detroit to open up a big double-digit lead in the second half after returning from five consecutive rest days.
“It felt great,” Pistons center Jalen Duren said after the team’s 142-115 win. “I think this is one of the first games we had everybody top to bottom, so it was great. Obviously the result was great. Everybody got to play. It was a good one. It’s good man, we’re in a great spot. Everybody's hungry. Everybody's locked in. I feel good. This is the best I’ve felt in my career, in terms of where the team is at this point and just how we're playing, it felt good.”
During the Pistons’ dominant win, Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff rotated his players liberally, and virtually everyone on the squad was able to make an impact. The Pistons had eight players score at least 10 points, and 12 different players scored at least seven against the Hawks, which tied an NBA record for spreading the ball around.
The Pistons relied on such depth after a back-and-forth first quarter saw 13 lead changes against the Hawks, but Detroit was able to lock in and seize control with a 35-point effort in the second quarter and never looked back.
Detroit Pistons Dominate Atlanta Hawks 142-115, Remain In 1st Place
Eight players scored in double figures for the Pistons on Friday night
“There’s no bench unit, you know what I mean,” Duren said. “Even guys who come off the bench for us are starting-caliber players. So we’re lucky to have a team of guys who all stay locked in, all execute, who all understand the mission, and we’re all going for the same goal.”
Off the bench, Isaiah Stewart put his imprint on the game with a burst of energy and 17 more points to go with five rebounds and five assists. Ron Holland II was similarly effective in a reserve role with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists to his credit as well.
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“I think, honestly, it shows the world that we're serious about winning, that we are serious about contending for a championship because that's what we do it for,” Duren said. “We're not here just to win games, we’re here to win championships. So, I think we’re the best team in the league, and we're gonna continue to show it.”
Now winners of three consecutive games, the Pistons have a couple days off to prepare for the Boston Celtics on Monday. The Celtics have turned it around after a rough start to the 2025-26 regular season without Jayson Tatum, and Boston looks like they can compete for the Eastern Conference title when spring rolls around once again.
The Pistons square off against the Celtics on Monday, Dec. 15 on the road at 7 pm.
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