Jalen Duren Just Ended Charlotte's Season: Pistons Clinch East's Top Seed, Hornets Headed to Play-In

The Detroit Pistons walked into Charlotte's house Friday night and slammed the door on the Hornets' playoff dreams. Jalen Duren dropped 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting as Detroit cruised to a 118-110 win, officially sending the Hornets to the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with no path to a direct playoff berth. The Pistons, already locked up as the East's first seed at 59-22, showed exactly why they're running the conference.

Duren and the Pistons Put the Game Away in the Fourth

Charlotte fought hard through three quarters, keeping it tight at 93-90 heading into the final stretch. Then Detroit happened. The Pistons exploded for a 15-2 run that Charlotte couldn't touch, and that was basically the ballgame. Duren scored six during the surge, and the Hornets just had no answer. Duncan Robinson added 19 points, Cade Cunningham chipped in 14, Ronald Holland II had 13, and Ausar Thompson posted 12 in the victory. Detroit shot a scorching 50.6% from the field and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds with Duren doing the work inside. The Pistons have won five of their last six games and they're showing no signs of slowing down.

LaMelo's 27 Wasn't Enough in Charlotte's Home Finale

LaMelo Ball did everything he could to keep the Hornets alive, pouring in 27 points with six 3-pointers. Brandon Miller added 22 points and Coby White came off the bench for 11 after missing time with groin soreness. Miles Bridges and Kon Knueppel each had 10. But here's the problem: Charlotte shot 13-for-47 from deep (27.7%) and coughed up 16 turnovers. When you're jacking up that many 3s and turning it over constantly, you're not beating a first-place team in their best form. The Hornets finished with a 21-20 home record this season and now they're headed to the play-in hoping to survive.

A Rematch with Bite

This was the first time these teams faced off since a February brawl that got people ejected and suspended. Friday got chippy early too, with Duncan Robinson and Brandon Miller getting tangled up less than two minutes in after a Miller dunk. Both drew technicals and that set the tone: this rivalry has teeth. Cunningham, back for his second game after missing three weeks with a collapsed lung, posted seven assists on 7-for-13 shooting (0-for-3 from three) in 28 minutes. He's still getting his rhythm back, but the Pistons won't miss a beat with their depth.

Charlotte's done with home games for the regular season. Now they wait to see if they can win their way out of the play-in gauntlet.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.