Charles Barkley rips Pistons big man Jalen Duren before Game 5 playoff loss
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Charles Barkley had harsh criticism for Detroit Pistons forward Jalen Duren before facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the NBA Playoff series on Wednesday night.
The “Inside the NBA” team was reviewing the game’s key players and who should step up. Barkley put the blame on Duren, who had eight points and two rebounds in Game 4.
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Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren reacts after allowing a pass to go out of bounds during the second half of Game 4 of the second-round NBA playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 11, 2026 in Cleveland. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
“His whole game is offensive rebounds and dunks from Cade (Cunningham). He can’t get those,” Barkley said. “So that really upsets him. Listen, he should never have two rebounds. That’s two more than a dead person.”
“You’ll never get two rebounds. But he’s a young kid. He’ll go into the gym, work on 40- to 15-foot jumps or things like that. But he’s too good a player. He’s an All-Star.”
The Pistons took a 15-point lead, allowing the Cavaliers to return for Game 5 on Wednesday. Cleveland managed to take a 3-2 lead in the series by beating Detroit 117-113 in overtime. Cleveland trailed 2-0 in the series before returning home for Games 3 and 4.
TNT college basketball analyst Charles Barkley is on air ahead of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament National Championship between the Michigan Wolverines and Connecticut Huskies at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 06, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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Düren made some progress compared to the 4th match. He had nine points, five rebounds and four assists. But the goal did not come from him. He made only five shots throughout the game.
Only three Pistons starters reached double figures. Cunningham led the team with 39 points. Daniss Jenkins scored 19 points and Tobias Harris scored 13 points. Paul Reed scored 10 points in 17 minutes coming off the bench. But this came from the Pistons.
Cleveland got a serious boost from James Harden. He scored 30 points with eight rebounds and six assists. Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points. While Dean Wade did not score a goal and did not attempt a single shot in the starting five, Max Strus scored 20 points, made six three-pointers and made two free throws.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives to the basket in the second half of Game 5 of the NBA playoff second round against the Detroit Pistons on May 13, 2026 in Detroit. (Duane Burleson/AP)
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The Cavaliers can set up a date against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals if they win Friday’s Game 6.
