Jalen Duren returned from a two-game absence and dominated with 31 points and 15 rebounds as the host Detroit Pistons stretched their winning streak to 10 games with a 127-112 victory over the struggling Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Duren’s point total was two shy of his career high. He missed the previous two games with an ankle sprain.
Detroit’s streak is its longest since the 2007-08 season. The Pistons will look to make it 11 straight in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Daniss Jenkins supplied a career-high 26 points and eight assists and Javonte Green scored 20 points off the bench. Duncan Robinson tossed in 13 points and Isaiah Stewart added 10 with five blocks.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers, who have lost eight straight, with 29 points and seven rebounds. Bennedict Mathurin had 25 points and Isaiah Jackson contributed 16 with 10 rebounds.
Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham missed his third consecutive game due to a left hip contusion.
The Pistons began the second quarter with a 20-4 run with Duren scoring nine consecutive points. That gave them a 46-25 lead but the Pacers answered with a 14-0 run, capped by an Andrew Nembhard 3-pointer.
Detroit then finished the half with a 16-7 run to grab a 62-46 halftime lead. Duren had 18 points and nine rebounds by the break, while Siakam topped the Pacers with 15 points.
Detroit scored nine unanswered points early in the third quarter, pushing its lead to 24 at 73-49. Jenkins capped that run with a layup.
Indiana cut its deficit to 18 at 93-75 by the end of the quarter.
Mathurin carried his club within striking distance by scoring 14 points during a 16-6 Pacers run that pulled them within eight points but the combination of Duren and Jenkins kept the Pacers at bay the rest of the way.
