NBA: Jalen Duren, Pistons cruise past Bucks

Jalen Duren powered the Pistons with 21 points as Detroit cruised to a dominant 137-111 win over the Bucks. Cade Cunningham added a double-double in his return, helping secure Detroit’s fourth win in five games.

FIELD LEVEL MEDIA / Reuters

April 9, 2026

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) and forward Tobias Harris (12) battle for a rebound against Milwaukee Bucks forward Maneck Dieng (21) during the second quarter at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., April 8, 2026.

Rick Osentoski / Reuters

The Detroit Pistons delivered a dominant performance on Wednesday night, cruising to a 137-111 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks behind a strong showing from Jalen Duren.

Duren led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds as Detroit improved to 58-22, maintaining its position as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons bounced back from a loss to Orlando on Monday and have now won four of their last five games.

Duncan Robinson added 20 points, while star guard Cade Cunningham made a successful return after missing 11 games due to a collapsed lung. Cunningham contributed 13 points and 10 assists in his comeback performance.

The Bucks, who dropped to 31-49, struggled to keep pace and have now lost eight of their last 10 contests. Ryan Rollins led Milwaukee with 23 points, while Jericho Sims recorded a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Milwaukee stayed competitive early, with AJ Green and Ousmane Dieng combining for 19 points in the opening quarter. However, Detroit still managed a six-point lead after shooting an efficient 60.9 percent from the field.

The Pistons began to pull away in the second quarter, building a lead as large as 16 points. Although the Bucks responded with a 14-2 run to cut the deficit to four, Detroit quickly regained control and entered halftime ahead 75-57. Robinson paced the Pistons with 15 first-half points, while Rollins scored 14 for Milwaukee.

In the second half, the Bucks continued to find success from beyond the arc, but Detroit’s efficiency proved too much. The Pistons maintained their hot shooting, hovering around 60 percent from the field and going 5-of-8 from three-point range in the third quarter to extend their advantage.

With the win, Detroit secured a 3-1 victory in the season series against Milwaukee. It marks the first time the Pistons have outright won a season series over the Bucks since the 2015-16 campaign, which was also the last time Milwaukee missed the playoffs prior to this season. -Field Level Media/Reuters