Jalen Duren’s Injury Status Revealed for Pistons vs Rockets

Could Jalen Duren play on Sunday against the Rockets?

Jan 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Sunday afternoon could mark the second time this season the Detroit Pistons would be without the starting center ,Jalen Duren. The Pistons will host the Houston Rockets for the first and only time this year.

On Wednesday, Duren was injured during the first quarter of the matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. Going up for a routine layup, Duren secured the board. However, on his way down, he had an awkward landing.

After rolling his ankle, Duren was experiencing some pain, resulting in the Pistons calling a timeout to stop the action. It seemed Duren would need to leave the game at that point, but he returned to the court to finish his shift in the first quarter.

Duren would finish the first quarter with roughly eight minutes played. He produced three rebounds and one assist before coming off for some rest. When Duren got checked out on the bench, he ended up paying an early visit to the locker room. At that point, the Pistons waited a bit before ruling him out for the remainder of the game.

Looking back at Jalen Duren’s injury last night looks like he just sprained it. pic.twitter.com/M0SPpZGHN2

— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) November 7, 2024

As expected, the Pistons continued to utilize Isaiah Stewart in Duren’s absence. They also issued Paul Reed some playing time to play backup to Stewart. The Pistons were in good hands against the Hornets, even though they came up short in the end.

When Detroit returned to the court to host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Duren entered the matchup listed as doubtful with a sprained ankle. As expected, he did not get the nod to play.

In Duren’s absence, the Pistons rolled out Isaiah Stewart in the starting five for over 30 minutes of playing time. Stewart would make five of his eight shots for ten points. He finished the matchup with a double-double, collecting 11 rebounds on the night.

As for Paul Reed, he collected 15 minutes of action. While he struggled with his shot, making just two field goals on six attempts, Reed showed some more promise for the Pistons on both ends of the floor. Without Duren, Detroit took down the Atlanta Hawks 122-121.

Jalen Duren (ankle) listed doubtful for Sunday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) November 9, 2024

Another absence isn’t guaranteed for Duren on Sunday, but signs are pointing to him potentially getting another game off. If that’s the case, the Pistons will likely have the same rotation by starting Stewart and having Reed play backup.

The Pistons and the Rockets tip-off at 3 PM ET.