Pistons 124-116 Thunder (Feb 25, 2026) Game Recap — pistons beat short-handed Thunder
DETROIT — The pistons defeated a short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-116 on Wednesday night as Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham paced Detroit. The win came in a matchup of conference leaders and extended Detroit’s hot run.
Pistons led by Duren and Cunningham
Jalen Duren finished with 29 points and 15 rebounds, and Cade Cunningham added 29 points and 13 assists as Detroit topped Oklahoma City 124-116. Duncan Robinson contributed 16 points for the East-leading Pistons, who have won six of seven and improved to 43-14.
Thunder short-handed and affected
Oklahoma City started the game without five of their six leading scorers: Shai Alexander-Gilgeous (abdomen), Isaiah Hartenstein (calf), Chet Holmgren (back), Ajay Mitchell (abdomen) and Jalen Williams (hamstring). The only one of the top six to start was Isaiah Joe; Joe left at halftime because of a bruised hip.
Thunder performance and individual nights
Jaylin Williams had a career-best 30 points for the defending champion Thunder, and Cason Wallace added 23. The Thunder dropped to 45-15; they had won five of six entering the game. Oklahoma City cut the deficit to 108-105 with 5: 06 to play, but Javonte Green answered with a 3-pointer on a possession where Detroit had four offensive rebounds.
Matchup context and projections
Pre-game projections listed Team Totals: Thunder 106. 5, Pistons 114. The injury report in the preview noted Isaiah Stewart (O, suspension) and that OKC was on a B2B. Projected starters for Oklahoma City were Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams. Projected starters for Detroit were Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren.
Coaching notes and matchup concerns
Daigneault’s notes included that OKC uploaded a Cason interview twice instead of Daigneault. Bickerstaff said he thought Ron Holland II was playing well and that he played him over Ausar Thompson, that he thought they did a good job on Wemby, and that the majority of their threes were open.
Defensive notes and injury uncertainties
The preview noted the Pistons had just come off facing the No. 3 defense in the Spurs and were set to face the No. 1 defense in OKC. It recorded that Detroit was 1-5 when they didn’t score more than 103 and said OKC ranks first in paint defense and forces turnovers, which would allow the Thunder to apply pressure on Cade Cunningham. The preview also pointed out OKC’s offense had been inconsistent with two duds in their last three (not counting the prior night) and that the Thunder could be sitting more guys on a B2B.
Specific matchup details raised that Cason Wallace’s role spiked on Sunday with 10 dimes on 14 potentials and that he uncharacteristically drove 15 times. Chet Holmgren received a Q tag the night before and could miss the game. The preview said that assuming Isaiah Hartenstein is out, there would be a good opportunity for Jaylin Williams. It added that Cade Cunningham had been clamped by Stephon Castle in a prior game and went 2-of-12 shooting on his drives in that matchup, and that the matchup might not be as bad if Hartenstein and Holmgren sat. On Jalen Duren it said the matchup was very much up in the air: if Isaiah Hartenstein suited up it would set up better, and there was a decent sample of the Thunder being worse on the boards without iHart while Holmgren’s absence would make it easier to score around the basket. The preview concluded, "We’ll have the injury report for the show later. "
Pistons: Host Cleveland on Friday night.
Closing: Detroit’s 124-116 victory on Wednesday night featured standout performances from Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham, came against a Thunder team missing multiple leading scorers, and moved the Pistons to 43-14 while the Thunder fell to 45-15.
