Jalen Duren: How Wizards 'Fueled the Fire' vs Detroit Pistons

By halftime, the Pistons-Wizards matchup had four technical fouls. Going into the locker room for a breather, Duren acknowledged the chippiness throughout the game, making it clear that the Pistons enjoyed taking it head-on as they looked to take care of business against a struggling Wizards team.

“We love it,” Duren told FanDuel Sports Detroit at halftime on Tuesday. “I love it. That’s what we do. That’s what we are built for. I think we play better when that happens. Most teams don’t know how to play with that type of energy and intensity. I think that just turns us up.”

The Pistons continued rolling during the second half of Tuesday’s game. Clearly, both sides remained in a state of frustration as techs and flagrants racked up in the second half. However, one team kept their head just cool enough to remain focused and come out on top with a dominant win.

“I think any game where we get into a ‘scuffle’ or a little pushing match, it just fuels the fire because we’re a team who likes to play with emotion,” Duren told reporters after the game.

“We can play with emotion. When JB [Bickerstaff] gets fired up, and he gets a tech, it’s fun to play under. It’s basketball; it’s not fun when the game is quiet, the crowd is quiet, and everybody is going through the motions. I think we thrive in those settings.”

Duren was one of five to get a technical foul on Tuesday night. He was involved in an early scuffle after seeing his All-Star teammate, Cade Cunningham, get pushed. For the Pistons, Isaiah Stewart and JB Bickerstaff were the other two to land one.

As for Washington, Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart were hit with techs. Smart also landed a flagrant one foul call in the fourth right after Richaun Holmes landed a flagrant two, resulting in a late-game ejection.

The Wizards attempted to beat the Pistons with physicality. They ended up finding themselves on the wrong end of a 20-point deficit.