CLEVELAND — Jalen Duren flexed.
Duren looked at the Detroit bench Friday night and appeared more sure of himself than he had all postseason. And it wasn’t the spin move around Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley before powering his way to the rim. It wasn’t his finish through contact that gave the visiting Pistons a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
The flex was confidence that had bubbled back to the surface. It was a level of emotion he hadn’t shown since the playoffs began. It was aggression. It was certitude.
And flexing right back at Duren, affirming the Piston center’s display of self-assuredness, was Paul Reed.
Reed signaled for an and-1 that wasn’t called and nearly stepped over the out-of-bounds line with his fists balled below his waist. It was a simple yet symbolic interaction between the two that summed up their synergy.
Duren, when his team needed it most, had his best game of the Eastern Conference semifinals. His 15 points, game-high 11 rebounds and three blocks were crucial to the Pistons’ 115-94 Game 6 win at Rocket Arena.
And when Duren slumped during the series, coach J.B. Bickerstaff turned to Reed for positive minutes. He played with the requisite aggressiveness. He attacked on offense. He moved with fervor, hunger on defense.
Throughout the playoffs, the Pistons have expressed certainty that Duren would overcome his underwhelming postseason play. His biggest advocate has been Reed.
“I don’t think anybody in here is as happy for JD as I am,” Reed told The Athletic inside Cleveland’s visiting locker room. “I was talking to him all night, telling him, ‘That’s the energy we need. Go harder. Make sure there’s nothing left in the tank.’”
That’s how Reed plays, from his first big-minute game against the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 11, 2025, when he went for a season-high 28 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, to Friday’s playoff career-high 17 points. While Duren watched from the bench at times during this series, Reed became the game-changer the Pistons needed.
Facing elimination, on the road, against one of the few teams that play two traditional bigs, it was Duren’s turn to affirm his strength. It was time for him to flex.
“A lot of my touches early on being rushed and not being assertive, (I was) just overthinking the whole thing,” Duren said while soaking his ankle in an ice bucket. “Watching film throughout the series, watching film throughout the whole playoffs, seeing how I’m moving and understanding how they’re guarding me has helped a lot.
“I’ve got to give credit to my player development coaches for helping me sit down and break down the game on how everything is looking.”
Pistons assistant coach Vitaly Potapenko works closely with Duren. He’s helped foster the postseason growth that led the 22-year-old big man to produce his third double-double of the second season.
Duren’s inspired outing came on the heels of being benched for Reed for the entire fourth quarter and overtime against the Cavaliers in Game 5.
Duren was asked after the loss whether he was frustrated seeing Reed claim his usual minutes.
“My brothers handled it,” Duren said. “(Reed) came in ready to go and did his thing.”
Jalen Duren when asked if he felt he needed to be better tonight:
“Absolutely, I feel like I could be better in all aspects of the game. Continue to grind and continue to grow.”
When asked if he was frustrated on the bench:
“My brothers handled it. Bball came in ready to go.” pic.twitter.com/5vLDFwcVAg
— Hunter Patterson (@HunterPatterson) May 14, 2026
Duren handled his first real spell of playoff slippage with grace. It’s due in large part to the bond he and Reed have developed by spending time together away from the hardwood.
“I look at him like my little brother for real,” Reed said of Duren with a grin. “He’s only 22, I’m 26. I’ve got four years on him, but off the court we hang out, and I feel like that helps build our relationship. It helps us support each other even more because we know we only want the best for each other.”
That connection is an example of how close Detroit is overall. Bickerstaff can play four-guard lineups that barely logged minutes together during the regular season to create chaos for Cleveland in the biggest game of the season.
It’s why Marcus Sasser can check in and boast a game-high plus-27 in 18 minutes after not seeing consistent minutes all postseason. It’s why Bickerstaff has the trust in his group to go nine men deep during the first quarter and 13 men deep for the game.
“Up and down our roster, we’ve had guys step up this season and play well for us, and it’s been different guys,” Bickerstaff said before Game 6. “No one’s b—-ed or complained when it wasn’t their opportunity. Our guys understand that, and our guys are great teammates. … That chemistry and trust and belief in each other, it’s genuine.”
The flex shared between Duren and Reed not only personified Duren’s self-doubt but also embodied the bond that’s allowed the Pistons to thrive in adverse situations. Without that collective conviction, Detroit wouldn’t have been able to conquer its shortcomings to force yet another Game 7.
The version of Duren on display on Friday has always been there. The challenges he has overcome during this postseason run have only helped him rediscover what makes him dominant. Duren understands his value, and his unwavering belief in himself — boosted by Reed — will be invaluable to a Pistons team looking to notch its first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2008.
“What the world thinks about me never hurt me, bro,” Duren said. “I care about the people around me. My family’s opinion and my closest friends’ opinion about me. … The world doesn’t know me, so I never take that and let myself get down. I always understand who I am, who I’ve been and who I can be.
“There’s ups and downs in this game, I understand that, and you go through that. People will be with you when you’re up, and they’re going to leave you when you’re down. That’s just how it goes.”
