Jalen Duren leads Pistons past Timberwolves in 113-108 victory

Pistons win without star Cade Cunningham as Timberwolves also miss All-Star Anthony Edwards

Apr. 3, 2026 at 2:23am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a basketball game in abstract shapes and angles, capturing the raw energy and competition of the sport without any identifiable players or teams.A cubist interpretation of the intense matchup between the Pistons and Timberwolves, with star players sidelined but their teams still battling for a crucial late-season victory.Today in Detroit

Jalen Duren had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Daniss Jenkins scored 26 points, and the Detroit Pistons beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-108 on Thursday night as both teams were without their star players. The Pistons were without Cade Cunningham, who is recovering from a collapsed left lung, while the Timberwolves ruled out All-Star guard Anthony Edwards due to a right knee injury and illness.

Why it matters

The Pistons are trying to stay ahead of Boston to earn top seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs, while the Timberwolves are fighting for position in the Western Conference. Both teams will be looking to get their stars back healthy for the postseason push.

The details

The Pistons went on an 11-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to take control of the game. Detroit's Ausar Thompson had a career-high nine assists to go along with nine rebounds and seven points. The Timberwolves' Julius Randle finished with 27 points, while Ayo Dosunmu and Naz Reid scored 19 points each.

  • The Pistons announced earlier in the day that Cade Cunningham would be out at least another week to recover from a collapsed left lung.
  • About 90 minutes before tipoff, the Timberwolves ruled out All-Star guard Anthony Edwards due to a right knee injury and illness.

The players

Jalen Duren

A Pistons player who had 22 points and 14 rebounds in the game.

Daniss Jenkins

A Pistons player who scored 26 points in the game.

Anthony Edwards

An All-Star guard for the Timberwolves who was ruled out of the game due to a right knee injury and illness.

Cade Cunningham

A Pistons player who was out of the game for at least another week to recover from a collapsed left lung.

Julius Randle

A Timberwolves player who finished with 27 points in the game.

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What’s next

The Timberwolves will visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, while the Pistons will visit the 76ers on Saturday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the importance of star players to their teams, as both the Pistons and Timberwolves were missing key players due to injuries. The Pistons were able to step up and win the game without Cade Cunningham, showing their depth and resilience as they push for a top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.