Detroit Pistons

2024-01-15

Jalen Duren continues to show skills, Alec Burks snipes to power Pistons past Wizards

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Detroit Pistons avoided an emotional hangover Monday, a day after swinging their first trade of the season.

In fact, it was the opposite. Big games from Alec Burks and Jalen Duren powered the Pistons (4-36) to just their fourth win of the season on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, defeating the Washington Wizards, 129-117 at Capital One Arena, to end a seven-game losing streak.

It is the Pistons' second road win this season, and first since Oct. 27 over the Charlotte Hornets in the second game of the season.

Burks was electric for the Pistons, tying his career-high with 34 points on 8-for-12 shooting from 3. Duren scored 20 points and made all eight of his attempts, and also grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds. Jaden Ivey had a solid performance with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists despite five turnovers.

"He was in that bag today," Isaiah Stewart said of Burks. I’m happy for AB, man. He’s a great vet. He can really score the ball. I love playing with him. Every time he steps out on the floor, he’s in range. He’s the type of guy that just hits all types of shots, and once he’s hot, he’s hot. Seeing him have a performance like that today, he deserved that and I’m happy for him."

The Wizards (7-32) were led by Tyus Jones (22 points, seven assists) and Flint native Kyle Kuzma (21 points), who was ejected late in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul.

The Pistons were without top two scorers Cade Cunningham (knee strain) and Bojan Bogdanovic (calf strain).

It was an ironic matchup, considering the teams completed the trade a day prior. The Pistons sent Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III and received Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in return. All four players were inactive for their new teams. The Pistons also sent two second-round picks.

A 9-0 run at the end of the third gave the Pistons control of the game for good. After committing nine turnovers in the first half for 15 Wizards points, Detroit committed four in the third quarter and two in the fourth.

The Pistons took a game-high 15-point lead with 2:05 after an inbounds pass from Burks set up Duren for a layup. The Pistons shot 55.6% overall and 38.7% from 3 (12-for-31). They also limited the Wizards to 55 points in the second half, after giving up 40 in the second quarter.

"We got momentum off of our stops tonight," Monty Williams said. "To hold, in today’s economy, any team to 30 points in the 4th quarter, it’s huge for a young group to understand that defense travels if we continue to stack the kind of one-on-one defense we had tonight. Timely rebounds. We can continue to build what we want to build.

"I was just proud of the guys, the way they hung in there every day, open hearts and wide-eyed ready to get better, and then doing it with the emotion of a trade says a lot about our group. We all know we have a long ways to go, but when we defend the way we did tonight, outside of that 40-point second, that looked like Pistons basketball."

The Pistons begin a six-game homestand Wednesday vs. Minnesota, the Western Conference's top team.

Duren improving offensive game

With the shot clock winding down, Duren received the ball right above the restricted area. With two defenders between him and the rim, he quickly spun left, losing both of them to get himself an easy layup.

The 19-year-old big man has assumed more offensive responsibility since Cunningham injured his left knee last week, and that play was just one of many where Duren has showcased improved touch and handle. He has scored at least 15 points in his past five games — the last four with Cunningham out.

Turnovers bite Pistons (again) early, but Burks shines off bench

It was a similar script in the first half for a Pistons team that has struggled with turnovers since opening night. They entered halftime with nine, fueling a 19-5 run that allowed Washington to turn the Pistons' nine-point lead early in the second quarter to a five-point deficit midway through it.

Burks started this season hot, and then went through an extended slump, before finding his touch again toward the end of December. The Pistons should be thankful the veteran sharpshooter put together one of his best halves to help them enter halftime with a 63-62 lead.

Burks scored 20 points in the first half, hitting six of nine 3-point attempts. A pair of 3s late in the first period allowed the team to starve off a Washington run and lead by seven at the end of the quarter. His next four 3-pointers were all in the final three minutes and 20 seconds of the half, and his 12 consecutive points scored for the Pistons allowed them to retake the edge.

The Pistons cut down on turnovers in the second half, committing four in the third quarter and zero in the fourth to help them secure the win. Burks’ eighth and final 3 of the day, midway through the fourth quarter, extended the lead to 115-105 and provided the cushion necessary to close the game out.

Next up: Timberwolves

Matchup: Pistons (4-36) vs. Minnesota (28-11).

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).