Thunder Vs Pistons: Pistons 124, Thunder 116 (Feb 25, 2026)
Detroit beat a shorthanded Oklahoma City 124-116 on Feb. 25, 2026, a result that mattered because the Thunder were missing the majority of their rotation. The thunder vs pistons matchup featured a strong inside day for Jalen Duren and a late OKC three-point surge that fell short.
Thunder missing core rotation but started strong
Oklahoma City played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Willians, Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell, all reported out. Even so, the Thunder held a 17-16 lead halfway through the first quarter. Seven different Thunder players scored in the opening period, and OKC closed the quarter on a 15-2 run to lead 34-22.
Thunder Vs Pistons: Jalen Duren imposes himself inside
Detroit’s defense was missing at times, but the Pistons found offense through Jalen Duren. Without both of the OKC big men, Jaylin Williams was the lone man left to handle JD. Early in the game Duren led the team in field goal attempts and had eight points and three rebounds. By halftime he had escalated his impact, finishing the first half with 18 points and seven rebounds as Oklahoma City didn’t have an answer for him down low. Detroit reclaimed the lead late in the second and took a 58-52 edge after a 10-2 run to close the half.
Bench lift from Ron Holland, Paul Reed and the 9-to-5 crew
The Pistons said they needed a spark in the second and found it from their 9-to-5 crew. Ron Holland (RoHo) provided his typical defense and, with Paul Reed, supplied offensive rebounds that created extra possessions. There was a sequence in which Holland and Reed grabbed three straight boards over the Thunder and RoHo finished with a layup. While Ron hasn’t looked pretty from three recently, his effort on the glass was clear.
Ausar’s second-quarter burst after Caris LeVert foul trouble
Ausar checked in for Caris LeVert after LeVert picked up his third foul and made an immediate impact on both ends. He had a sequence where a block pinned an opponent against the backboard that turned into a transition alley-oop to Jalen Duren. The Thunder often defended Ausar by sagging off his deep jumper, crowding him at the block or the free throw line, but he attacked, kicked out for open threes and showed patience to get to the right elbow for a jumper, a spot noted as one he’s more comfortable shooting from.
Third-quarter momentum, Kevin Huerter minutes and OKC’s zone
Detroit extended its lead in the third. After Cade’s chase-down block and a transition bucket from Duncan Robinson, Oklahoma City took a timeout as the Pistons pushed to a double-digit advantage. Newly acquired Kevin Huerter received minutes before the end of the quarter. With a 94-80 lead heading into the final frame, the game was described as the Battle of the #1 Seeds. Oklahoma City was playing a lot of zone defense, and Cade did a good job picking it apart as Detroit relied on scoring from inside while the Thunder chased scoring from deep.
Late Thunder three-point rally and final stretch
OKC’s threes landed in the fourth quarter. The Thunder shot 18-for-49 from deep as a team, and Jaylin Williams attempted 10 threes and finished with a career-high 30 points. Those makes fueled an 11-2 Thunder run that cut the margin to five with 5: 30 left. Guards Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace and Jarden McCain each contributed with at least 20 points. Every time Oklahoma City made it close, Cade would carve up the Oklahoma City defense to keep the game just out of reach. The final score read Pistons 124, Thunder 116. It wasn't the performance you'd hope to see a unclear in the provided context
