Jalen Duren returned from suspension in dominant fashion Saturday night, posting 26 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 126-110 win over the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
Detroit seized control in the second half, outscoring Chicago 44-26 in the third quarter to turn a tight game into a runaway.
The Pistons, who improved to a league-best 42-13, won their fifth straight and handed the Bulls their season-high eighth consecutive loss.
Duren, who had missed two games for his role in a Feb. 9 altercation in Charlotte, established himself early in the paint. He shot 12-of-20 from the field and grabbed six offensive rebounds as Detroit finished with 68 points in the paint.
The 22-year-old center also helped generate 26 second-chance points, compared to 16 for Chicago. His physical presence shifted momentum after halftime as the visitors built a lead that grew to 28.
Cade Cunningham added 18 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, narrowly missing his 15th career triple-double. The All-Star guard orchestrated the offense and finished with a game-high plus-28 rating.
Tobias Harris contributed 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while Duncan Robinson scored 17 and knocked down five 3-pointers. Detroit shot 49% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc.
The first half featured eight lead changes, and the Bulls trailed just 53-50 at the break. Chicago stayed within striking distance behind Josh Giddey, who scored 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-8 from deep.
Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith and Isaac Okoro each added 15 points for Chicago. However, the Bulls committed 23 turnovers that led to 28 Detroit points.
The Pistons forced 13 steals and converted those takeaways into transition opportunities. They also won the rebounding battle 50-44 and held a 37-36 edge on the defensive glass.
Duren picked up a technical foul in the third quarter after dropping the ball on Nick Richards while the Chicago center was on the floor. The incident did not alter the flow of the game.
The Bulls played without Jaden Ivey, who is expected to miss two weeks with knee soreness after appearing in four games since being traded from Detroit. Anfernee Simons exited with a left wrist injury.
Chicago fell to 24-33 and remains 12th in the Eastern Conference standings. Detroit strengthened its hold on the top spot in the conference and improved to 20-7 on the road.
The Pistons will host San Antonio on Monday, while the Bulls welcome the New York Knicks on Sunday.
