The Detroit Pistons are red hot and snagged their fourth win in the past five games on New Year’s Day with a win over the Orlando Magic. Pistons players weren’t as thrilled as they could have been after getting the win, though, since the moment was overshadowed by Pistons star guard Jaden Ivey suffering a gruesome injury during the game.
Ivey had 22 points before suffering what appeared to be a serious ankle or leg injury. After the injury, medical personnel immediately took him out of the game on a stretcher.
After he left the game, the Pistons regrouped in a circle for a prayer before getting back to the game.
Detroit Pistons Pray for Jaden Ivey
Cade Cunningham explained the moment in a press conference after the game.
“We said a prayer for him, and just wanted to collect ourselves and talk about it and make sure everybody was on the same page about what we had to do from that point on,” Cunningham said per the Detroit Free Press. “We already had a lot of attention with this game. Jan. 1, we wanted to start the year off right. Seeing that happen, that was tough on us and we wanted to make sure everybody was on the same page about what the mission was.”
Cunningham also talked about how difficult the moment was on for the entire team.
“It’s tough on the whole group,” Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said after the game. “To see him hurting like that is tough on us. He’s built for it, he’s going to shake back knowing him. He’s going to work his tail off and he’s going to be better than ever when he gets back. It’s hard to see that, for sure.”
Detroit Pistons Coach J.B. Bickerstaff Talks Jaden Ivey
Cunningham wasn’t the only Pistons player who opened up about the injury after the game. First-year coach J.B. Bickerstaff also discussed the sad moment and talked about how the team cares about each other.
“They care about each other, and they care about JI and what this means to him and the sacrifices that he’s made within his game, within himself to help this team and each other’s individual growth,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said via the Detroit Free Press. “They banded together because they know that’s what he would’ve wanted him to do.”
Bickerstaff added, “At the heart of this team and what we’ve tried to preach all year since we’ve been here is the togetherness. If one guy goes down, you don’t want to let that guy down. So everybody else has to step up. It’s the emotions, it’s the human aspect of it. But I thought our guys did a really good job of just sticking together and getting it done.”
If Ivey misses the rest of the season, that will certainly be a difficult thing to work around for the Pistons. Bickerstaff usually staggers Cunningham and Ivey and has at least one playing at all times. If Ivey doesn’t come back this season, second-year guard Marcus Sasser will be Detroit’s only backup to Cunningham.