A dominant debut performance by Jalen Duren led the Detroit Pistons to their biggest preseason win thus far.
Duren stuffed the stat sheet – 24 points 8-for-9 overall shooting and 8-for-8 shooting at the free throw line, three rebounds, two steals and a block in 15 minutes – and the Pistons blew out the Minnesota Timberwolves, 128-106, on the road to improve to 2-1 during preseason. They'll conclude their four-game slate at home on Friday, Oct. 16 against the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m.
It was a long-awaited debut for Duren, who missed their first two preseason games and sat out of the second half on Wednesday. It also was the first time the Pistons had all five of their regular season starters on the floor together. Cade Cunningham, who missed Saturday's
road loss to the Washington Wizards, finished with 14 points and nine assists. Duncan Robinson (15 points, six rebounds, 4-for-5 from 3) and John Collins (11 points) also reached double figures.
The Pistons trailed by 10 in the first quarter but closed the first half with a 12-2 run to take control of the game at halftime, 65-58. They proceeded to win the second half 61-45, shooting 57.9% overall while holding Minnesota to 33.3%.
Duren dazzles in debut
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff teased a faster, more-explosive Duren appearing during the Pistons' practices. The 22-year-old lived up to Bickerstaff's hype in his debut – he was the strongest, most assertive player on the floor and carved up the Wolves' defense in a variety of ways.
Duren was responsible for the Pistons' first three buckets of the night, getting them on the board just 15 seconds into the game with a short baseline jumper over Wolves star big man Rudy Gobert. The following play, Duren showcased his tight dribble by blowing past Gobert – one of several possessions that ended with a Duren dribble drive past a Minnesota big.
Within the next 20 seconds, Duren got the better of Gobert again – this time ripping the ball from him along the perimeter, pushing the ball in transition and finding Thompson for a transition alley-oop. He wasn't finished, beating Gobert with another blow-by and hook for six points on 3-for-4 shooting before he checked out for Paul Reed at the 7:41 mark.
JALEN DUREN AT HALFTIME:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 15, 2026
24 POINTS
3 REBOUNDS
8/9 FGM
15 MINUTES
GO OFF. 🔥🔥🔥
(🎥 @ShowCaseShabazz)
pic.twitter.com/PSX6YjUPWF
"It’s one of those things that he’s done a really good job of making small improvements all around," Bickerstaff said after practice on Oct. 7. "He appears to be faster, more explosive. His face-up game has improved. His work around the basket has improved as well. Defensively, being in his right spots, being switchable and being able to guard smaller guys so far. He’s been really good."
When Duren checked back in with 4:11 remaining in the first, he began tormenting Wolves second-year big man Joan Beringer. He drew consecutive fouls on the 19-year-old within the final two minutes of the quarter on drives to the rim, showing off his comfort handling the ball and strength advantage.
The highlights continued for Duren in the second period – a two-man action with Kevin Huerter culminating with an alley-oop dunk, a thunderous left-handed dunk off of a cut and pocket pass from Cade Cunningham, a near one-handed poster dunk on Beringer that instead granted two free throws. He even attempted a 3-pointer, his lone miss of the night, and was sharp and effective as a rim protector.
It was as dominant a half as Duren's ever played on both ends, and a statement performance following a protracted offseason contract negotiation. The Pistons were cautious and patient while bringing him up to speed during training camp, and he delivered with a debut performance that teased an expanded, more-confident game following a breakout All-NBA season and summer of private workout.
Thompson handles, Cunningham moves off-ball
After being more aggressive and knocking down several jumpers through their first two preseason games, Thompson took a backseat as a scorer on Wednesday. He made his lone shot attempt of the night – a transition alley-oop dunk courtesy of a lob from Duren – and instead dialed in as a playmaker. It was a key factor in an all-around strong offensive night for the Pistons, during which they made 57.9% of of their overall shot attempts.
Thompson finished with four assists and zero turnovers, and kept the ball moving both in transition and against a set defense. He located Robinson with a transition skip pass to the corner, which was preceded with a behind-the-back dribble to lose his defender, to cut the deficit to 48-45 midway through the second. A bounce pass to Robinson through traffic early in the third led to a trip to the free throw line for Reed. He consistently made smart reads, and the ball didn't stick in his hands.
It allowed Cunningham to find some of his shots within the flow of the offense, rather than having to create for himself. Midway through the third, Thompson found Cunningham open for a catch-and-shoot 3 after Cunningham came off of a Reed screen. It was an example of how the Pistons hope to diversify Cunningham's shot profile this season and make his life easier on the offensive end.
Pistons sustain defensive intensity
After trailing 38-29 at the end of the first, the Pistons won the next three quarters by 31 points. For the night, they held Minnesota to 39.7% overall while forcing 20 turnovers. Through three preseason games, the Pistons have faced 76 total turnovers.
No team recorded more steals and blocks than the Pistons last season, and they appear to be on track to sustain their chaotic identity. Nine players recorded at least one steal, and Duren, John Collins and Javonte Green each tallied two.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
Next up: Raptors
Matchup: Pistons (1-1 entering Wednesday's game) vs. Toronto (2-1 entering Thursday's game); exhibition.
Tipoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16; Little Caesars Arena.
TV/radio: WMYD-TV (Ch. 20); WXYT-FM (97.1).
Streaming: DaZN Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jalen Duren dazzles in preseason debut as Pistons smack Timberwolves
