ORLANDO — It was hard to imagine this series getting worse for Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons. And then Jamal Cain came soaring down the lane.
Duren rotated over in the paint to help cut off the drive. He did so somewhat passively, throwing his hands up and positioning himself in front of the rim. It wasn’t the physical, aggressive defense for which the Pistons are known. And he paid the price.
The two collided midair, but Cain continued climbing as he punched home one of the biggest dunks of these playoffs. Cain, whose power bowled over Duren and sent him to the floor, flexed as he stared the Pistons big man down.
It was a moment that encapsulated Monday’s 94-88 loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 4, pushing Detroit to the brink of elimination.
“Obviously upset,” Duren told The Athletic. “We feel like we dropped at least more than one game that we were supposed to win. Everything is self-inflicted. The turnovers, not executing when we needed to.”
Duren, a fourth-year center, took a leap this season and appeared poised to announce his arrival among the league’s best this postseason. Much like the Pistons, he looked ready. He sounded ready. But the playoffs are different.
The postseason has exposed Duren’s flaws. Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. has proved to be a nemesis — decisive with his movements offensively, efficient and has elevated his play in the playoffs.
Duren has looked like a shell of himself for much of Detroit’s postseason. On Monday, he finished with 12 points and eight boards, but came short of the impact to which he’s accustomed.
Similarly, the Pistons — winners of 60 games, the third team in franchise history to reach that plateau — entered this postseason planning to announce themselves as contenders. But the playoffs are different.
“The way we’ve been playing, that stuff’s not good enough to win games,” Cade Cunningham said. “They’re outrebounding us, turning me over, we haven’t hit enough shots, our defense hasn’t caught its foot. So, it’s not shocking we’re losing games playing like that.”
Detroit’s flaws are being exposed. A team built on physicality has run into a more physical and more athletic team. And the Pistons’ lack of a proven co-star next to Cunningham, and their inconsistent outside shooting, have been so underwhelming as to cast doubt on the contender status they built this season.
Now, they’re a loss away from an early vacation. The Pistons and Duren are in search of answers.
“It ain’t over, bro,” Duren said. “Teams have come back from down 3-1 so many times. It wouldn’t be the first time in history. We’ve got to keep it one at a time, go protect the crib and keep moving from there.
“S— ain’t over.”
Thirteen teams in NBA history have won a series after trailing 3-1. The 2003 Pistons were one. They came back to beat the Orlando Magic.
But if the Pistons are to pull it off, it might require a lineup change. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t express any interest in modifying the first five on Monday. But the way Isaiah Stewart is playing, Bickerstaff should consider it.
Stewart — whose locker is always next to Duren’s — has matched up well against Orlando. He spaces the floor more effectively than Duren. Though he’s only attempted three triples this series, Stewart made two of them and is enough of a threat to force the Magic to close out to him.
Detroit’s starting lineup features two non-shooters in Duren and Ausar Thompson. Duren allows Orlando to clog the paint, which limits space for Cunningham to get downhill. Tobias Harris, one of the shooters, is now 3-for-21 from 3-point range in the series. It’s making offense harder to come by for the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed.
Also, Stewart’s rim protection has been much better. Monday, he had a career-high eight blocks in 17 minutes.
One of Stewart’s highlight sequences came with 4:03 remaining in the fourth quarter. Magic guard Jalen Suggs came barreling down the lane, perhaps looking for revenge for Stewart’s block of his dunk attempt in Game 2. Suggs didn’t get that revenge.
Stewart sent Suggs away, careening to the floor, just as he did two games ago. Carter collected the offensive rebound and went up for a score. Stewart blocked his shot, too.
Duren has seven blocks in 123 minutes. Stewart has 12 blocks in 64 minutes. Duren’s defensive rating in this series is 109.1, second-worst on the team. Stewart’s is 87.7.
“I know what I mean to this team, I know what I was drafted here to do and I know I’m built for playoff basketball,” Stewart said. “So I’m just ready whenever my name is called. And whenever my name is called, I’m ready to lay it on the line like I display every single night.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to trust the game plan Coach has, and you’ve got to be there for your teammates. It sucks because I want to be out there more because I know what I bring, and I know the impact I have on the game. I know (the Magic) don’t want me out there for a reason. So, yeah, it’s tough. But at the end of the day, (I’m going to) be the best teammate that I can be.”
Despite being the No. 1 seed, the Pistons are still a young team. Heart alone can’t compensate for experience.
Certainly, this 3-1 hole extends beyond Duren’s deficiencies. Cunningham’s turnovers have been problematic. While he’s averaging 29.5 points and 7.5 assists, he’s also been posting 6.8 turnovers per game.
Monday was the second clutch game in this series. Detroit’s been outscored by 15 points combined in those two games, losing both. That’s the worst of the 16 teams in the playoffs. Orlando, at plus-15, leads all playoff teams.
This is the first time Duren’s been called upon to be a No. 2 offensive option in a playoff series. And the Magic have kept multiple defenders on him to neutralize his impact. At 22 years old, in his second postseason, these hard lessons could be necessary for him to grow.
Maybe for where the Pistons are going, they need to grow through this together. Even if it means getting bounced by Orlando.
That’s what’s on the table. No other options. No more room for error. It’s show up or go home. We have seen the Pistons and Duren respond before, and they’ll have an opportunity to do so again, starting Wednesday.
“In these situations, you see who’s made of what,” Stewart said. “Our back is against the wall and it ain’t no quit. One game at a time, go protect the crib and come back to take one at their home. We’ve just got to take it a game at a time. Our back is against the wall, so we’ve got to fight like hell.”