Game 5 of the second-round series between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Michigan was shaping up to be a comfortable win for the home team. Jalen Duren, Cade Cunningham, and the Pistons were on pace to prevent a third-straight win from Cleveland.
Unfortunately, for the first time in the series, the Cavaliers are ahead. A 117-113 comeback win in overtime allowed the Cavaliers to steal one on the road. Now, the Pistons are back to facing elimination in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Amid their Game 5 defeat, Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff had to make a strong decision on his All-Star center. Jalen Duren was benched in crunch time.
And it wasn’t a decision that would last for just a few minutes down the stretch. The star big man remained off the court throughout the fourth quarter and didn’t log any playing time in overtime. Instead, Bickerstaff rolled with the third-string center, Paul Reed.
JB Bickerstaff Explains Jalen Duren Decision in Game 5
“Again, I just thought that P-Reed gives us that spark,” Bickerstaff told reporters after the game. “He’s always ready for when the moment calls for it. Through that point, I thought we had done a pretty good job. They made their run, and P-Reed is a run-stopper for us. Him as a weapon—it’s good for this team.”
Duren hasn’t logged more than 30 minutes of playing time since Game 2. Wednesday’s action was his playoff-low for this run. Despite the Pistons gaining an extra period of playing time, Duren saw the court for just 25 minutes.
The Pistons’ All-Star went 3-5 from the field and 3-4 from the free-throw line to score nine points. He also had five rebounds, four assists, and one steal. The veteran center was a minus-16 when he was on the floor.
As for Paul Reed, he gave the front court life. In 17 minutes, Reed went 4-7 from the field and shot 2-2 from the charity stripe to score 10 points. He also came down with eight rebounds, while blocking two shots. Reed garnered more minutes than the primary backup, Isaiah Stewart.
The Pistons Are Facing Elimination
Game 6 on the road will be do-or-die for Duren and Detroit. Although the Pistons got off to a 2-0 start in the series, the Cavaliers have totally shifted the momentum.
Being the top seed, any series loss would be an upset for the Pistons. They were clearly the top team in the Eastern Conference this season.
The Pistons and the Cavs will meet for Game 6 on Friday night for a 7 PM ET tip.