Jalen Duren delivered one of his most efficient performances of the season Tuesday night as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Toronto Raptors 127-116 to clinch the Central Division title.
Detroit’s victory at Little Caesars Arena secured the franchise’s first division crown since the 2007-08 season. The Pistons improved to 55-21, completing a dramatic turnaround after several years near the bottom of the standings.
Duren led the way with 31 points on 12-of-13 shooting while adding nine rebounds. The All-Star center controlled the interior throughout the night and repeatedly converted high-percentage opportunities around the rim.
Detroit played without Cade Cunningham, who remains sidelined with a lung injury. The Pistons compensated with balanced scoring and efficient offense across the lineup.
Daniss Jenkins continued his strong run as the starting point guard, finishing with 21 points and five assists. The guard has averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 assists since stepping into the starting role in Cunningham’s absence.
Duncan Robinson added 19 points while knocking down five 3-pointers. His perimeter shooting helped stretch Toronto’s defense and created additional space for Detroit’s interior attack.
The Pistons shot 60 percent from the field and 57 percent from 3-point range, finishing 13-of-23 from beyond the arc. Detroit also converted 26 of 30 free throws while maintaining offensive control for most of the night.
Tobias Harris contributed 12 points and six assists, while Ausar Thompson added five points, seven rebounds and five assists. Detroit finished with 33 assists, reflecting the ball movement that has defined its offense this season.
Toronto received strong individual scoring efforts but struggled to contain Detroit’s efficiency. RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 24 points, while Brandon Ingram scored 22.
Jakob Poeltl added 13 points and four rebounds, and Sandro Mamukelashvili provided 16 points off the bench. Collin Murray-Boyles also contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds in a reserve role.
Scottie Barnes recorded 12 assists but scored just five points on 2-of-8 shooting. The Raptors finished with 116 points but could not slow Detroit’s consistent scoring runs.
Toronto fell to 42-33 with the loss but remains firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Detroit will now shift its focus to securing playoff positioning as the regular season enters its final stretch.
