With a shade under five minutes to play in the first quarter of the recent clash with the Golden State Warriors, Jalen Duren, the Detroit Pistons big man, made a beeline towards the basket whilst tracking a Killian Hayes jumper.
The restricted area was already occupied by a pair of Warriors bigs with one goal — keep the board away from Detroit’s 6-foot-10, 19-year-old man among boys. In only 39 games, Duren’s reputation already requires opponents to send reinforcements to the paint in an attempt to box out the 250-pound big man.
As Hayes’ jumper caromed off the rim, Duren jostled with Kevon Looney—an excellent positional rebounder—and Anthony Lamb, before soaring above and tapping the rebound back to Hayes, who converted the second-chance opportunity.