Orlando, Fla. — Pistons center Jalen Duren raised both hands in the air as Orlando’s Paolo Banchero swung on the rim after completing a two-handed dunk at the 9:09 mark of the third quarter. Banchero’s basket gave the Magic a 71-60 lead, which prompted coach J.B. Bickerstaff to call a timeout.
As the Pistons returned to the court, only four of the five starters stepped back onto the floor at Kia Center, as Bickerstaff decided to substitute Duren for Paul Reed. Duren watched from the sideline for nearly eight minutes, as Reed provided better production by contributing five rebounds and four points in seven minutes.
“I thought Paul had earned the right in moments where we needed a spark,” Bickerstaff said. “I think Paul does a great job in those moments. He does a great job of being ready whenever his number is called. And I figured at that point and time, they made a little run to start the quarter. I needed to find a spark, and P. Reed has been that for us.”
Every minute Duren spent on the bench highlighted his lackluster performance in the Pistons’ 113-105 Game 3 loss to the Magic on Saturday. He ended the game with eight points while shooting 3-of-10 from the field. His performance was well below his All-NBA-caliber season, showcasing how inefficient Duren has been during Detroit’s series against the Magic.
In the first three games, Duren has averaged nine points per game with a 41.7% field-goal percentage, to go along with 8.3 rebounds. In 70 regular-season games, Duren enjoyed a career year, averaging 19.5 points per game on 65% shooting and 10.5 rebounds.
“These last three games have not gone the way he would like to for him, but the whole team has no doubt that he will figure it out,” guard Cade Cunningham said. “He knows that he will figure it out. We are excited about the next game for him.”
Coming into Game 3, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley noted that he hoped Duren had not found a counter to his defensive scheme. Since Game 1, nearly every time Duren has attempted to catch the ball in the low post, the Magic have sent multiple defenders to prevent him from finding his rhythm.
Orlando’s physical defense has largely disrupted the two-man game between Duren and Cunningham. The alley-oop connection between Cunningham and Duren, which occurred midway through the first quarter of Game 3, was one of the few successful plays the All-Star duo has made during the 26.3 minutes they have played together during the first three games.
“They are loading up,” Cunningham said. “They are putting pressure on me, but also making sure that they have a man who does not allow any lobs. They do a lot of switching, trying to get under J.D. while keeping someone in front of me. They are using their defense, bringing everyone over.”
During the first quarter, Duren caught two alley-oops, with Ausar Thompson throwing the second one. At that moment, it seemed like the Pistons had discovered a strategy for attacking Orlando’s defense, as they were giving Duren enough space and delivering the ball accurately at the right time, allowing him to make plays.
Duren has been largely ineffective on offense. However, a positive aspect of his performance in Detroit’s Game 3 loss was his defensive effort, which included five blocks. He was also active with his hands, causing a few deflections that led to early turnovers and easy transition points for Detroit.
There are several things the Pistons need to improve upon ahead of Game 4 on Monday to avoid going down 3-1 in the series. But nothing will be more important than Duren finding his groove and returning to his All-Star form.
“Jalen is a helluva player. When Cade was out, he was averaging close to 25 points per game,” Mosley said. “His ability to be aggressive, get downhill and attack. When Cade was out, the ball was in his hands a ton. He knows how to make plays, and I think that is what J.B. will lean on. Our ability to guard him physically and away from the basket and not letting him get to his easy spots and make it tough on him.”
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Magic cast defensive spell on Pistons’ Jalen Duren: ‘He’ll figure it out’
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
