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October 15, 2026 at 4:46 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Pistons Smother Timberwolves' New Look in 128-106 Preseason Win

Detroit leaned on its defense and a deep bench to beat Minnesota by 22 in the preseason, with Jalen Duren scoring 24 in his first action of the exhibition schedule.

Pistons vs. Timberwolves GameThread: Game Time, TV, Odds, and More — Yahoo Sports
Pistons vs. Timberwolves GameThread: Game Time, TV, Odds, and More — Yahoo Sports

The question coming in was whether Minnesota's rebuilt offense could function against a Detroit defense that has become the Pistons' calling card. For one preseason night, the answer was no. Detroit won 128-106, and the game was settled well before the final minutes. The Pistons' reserves kept the pressure on whenever the starters sat, which is the part of this team that tends to wear opponents down. Minnesota finished 22 points short and never found a rhythm that lasted.

The Timberwolves' offense is now built around LaMelo Ball, and the design is easy to see even in a loss. Ball draws so much attention that defenders get pulled out of position. Jaden McDaniels can end up matched with someone's weakest defender, and Anthony Edwards can run off screens knowing the pass will arrive. Ball took only a few shots, finishing with 3 points and 6 assists in 18 minutes. Edwards led all players with 28 minutes and scored 20, though he had no rebounds and just 3 assists. McDaniels added 12 and Jonathan Kuminga 16, but Detroit was too deep and too connected to be rattled.

The Pistons also settled a few lineup questions. Cade Cunningham had missed the previous game, and he started, playing 25 minutes with 14 points and 9 assists. Jalen Duren, who had not played at all this preseason, returned to the starting five and scored 24 points in 15 minutes. John Collins and Isaiah Joe are still working their way into Detroit's system. Collins had 11 points in 20 minutes as a starter, and Joe came off the bench for 14. Duncan Robinson added 15 and six rebounds.

Detroit improved to 2-1 in the preseason and played its last road game of the exhibition schedule. Next comes the preseason finale in Toronto, followed by the regular-season opener against the Celtics. Minnesota goes back to work with a lot of scheme still to sort out and an offense that has some work to do.

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