Jalen Duren confronts chippy play during Pistons win over Wizards
03/12/2025 01:59 AM
After a tough four-game Western Conference road trip, the Detroit Pistons returned to Little Caesars Arena and scored a 123-103 victory over the Washington Wizards. Their second consecutive win featured an intense play style the Pistons have adapted to all season.
Detroit and Washington exchanged high emotion on the court filled with heavy trash-talking and physicality. Tuesday night’s matchup featured five technical fouls, two flagrant fouls, and an ejection between both teams.
The Pistons managed to outlast the hostile play on the way to improving to a 37-29 record. Center Jalen Duren detailed how the emotional play style motivates the Pistons during the postgame media session.
"I think any game where we kind of get into a scuffle or a little pushing match, it just fuels the fire. We're a team who likes to play with emotion, and we can play with emotion. When J.B. (Bickerstaff) gets fired up, and he gets the tech, it's just, it's fun to play on,” Duren explained.
“It's just basketball, it makes it fun. It's not fun when the game is quiet, the crowd is quiet, and everybody's going through motions. So, I think we thrive in those settings."
The first scuffle episode started between Kyshawn George and Cade Cunningham during a jump ball. The shoving match flared into technical fouls assessed to Jalen Duren and Khris Middleton.
Marcus Smart and Isaiah Stewart had their own feud after some aggressive box-outs and trash talk, which led to Ron Holland confronting Smart himself. Issues hit a high during the fourth quarter when the Wizards picked up two flagrant fouls, including an ejection by Richaun Holmes.
The Pistons have developed a reputation of embracing feisty contests against their opponents all year. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff explained why it feels like a growing step forward for the Pistons after the game.
"It's just the maturation that's happened throughout the season, understanding how important these games are to us, what it's going to take to get the job done, and finding that consistency. It's not something you just turn and off and I think our guys have found that,” Bickerstaff said. “They know the level that they have to get to and they can get there and stay there and be consistent for 48 minutes."
Pistons bench finding rhythm
While the starters continue to lead the way, the second unit has provided a major spark for the Pistons. Detroit’s reserves totaled 50 points off the bench to keep pressure on the Wizards.
The backcourt of Malik Beasley and Dennis Schroder provided a useful surge for the Pistons, combining for 25 points. Swingman Simone Fontecchio put an impactful game together, scoring eight points, grabbing five rebounds, and making crucial momentum plays.
Point guard Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 27 points. He flirted with a triple-double by dishing out 10 assists and eight rebounds. The All-Star managed the elite-level production while dealing with foul trouble all game.
Center Jalen Duren scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Duren controlled the paint and provided extra possessions for the Pistons by pulling down five offensive rebounds. Beasley chipped in 14 points and Schroder put up 11 points as reserves for the Pistons.
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