Oct 28, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Aaron Holiday (3) drives to the basket on Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images / David Reginek-Imagn Images
Wednesday's game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons ended in heartbreak fashion for the visiting team. Not only did the Pistons lose on a buzzer-beater tip-in, but they also feared that their starting center, Jalen Duren, was dealing with an injury that could take him off the floor for some time.
On Friday, the Pistons return to the court to face the Atlanta Hawks. On the injury report, Duren is listed as doubtful to compete. As expected, he is dealing with a sprained ankle.
During the first quarter in Charlotte, Duren was coming down with a routine rebound. He rolled his ankle on the land, which forced the Pistons to call a timeout to make sure he was fine.
Duren stayed in the game to complete a seven-minute shift in the first 12 minutes of action. He left the court with three rebounds, one assist, and a foul. Considering he didn't stay out of the game right after rolling his ankle, it seemed everything was fine for the veteran center.
It turns out that's not necessarily the case. Duren went back to the Pistons' locker room on Wednesday to get his ankle checked out. At the start of the second half, the Pistons ruled him out officially.
The Pistons returned to practice on Thursday morning. Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff revealed the official diagnosis for Duren, making it clear that they hadn't come to a conclusion on his playing status for Friday just yet.
While that seems to remain the case, all signs are pointing to Duren missing some action.
In Duren's absence, the Pistons are likely to slide Isaiah Stewart into the starting lineup. Not only does Stewart have plenty of starting experience, but he's been thriving in his bench role as of late.
In 26 minutes on Wednesday, Stewart produced six points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 26 minutes of action. Defensively, Stewart has been key for Detroit. Offensively, he's proven to be plenty productive in the past despite being off to a career-low start in the scoring department.
The Pistons and the Hawks will battle it out at 7 PM ET on Friday.