Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey suffered a broken fibula after colliding with Orlando Magic’s Cole Anthony in the fourth quarter of the game on Wednesday, January 1. Ivey, who in the third year of his career is averaging 17.6 points, four rebounds and four assists a game, was stretchered off the court and isn’t expected to return this season.
Early in the fourth quarter, with the Pistons holding an 84-79 lead over the Magic, both Ivey and Anthony ran to grab the ball after a missed shot by Detroit’s Cade Cunningham. Anthony dove for the ball just as Ivey went reaching for it too, resulting in the Magic player falling onto and pinning Ivey’s left leg. Ivey quickly grabbed his shin in a sign of distress and the game was stopped.
With the help of the Piston’s medical staff, Ivey was eventually put onto a stretcher and taken out of the arena to a local hospital. In the aftermath of the injury, Anthony was noticeably shaken and made sure to check on Ivey before he was wheeled out for further treatment.
After a long delay, the game was eventually resumed and the Pistons held onto their lead, winning 105-96. Prior to his injury, Ivey had recorded a team-high 22 points, along with four assists and a rebound.
In his third year in the league out of Purdue University, Ivey was on pace for his best season so far, averaging 17 points, four rebounds and four assists a game on 30 minutes a night. Behind Cunningham, he was the Piston’s second-highest scorer and leading the team in steals at just under one a game.
“It’s tough. It’s tough on all of us,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said postgame. “No better teammate, person than J.I. No one who cares more about this thing than him. It’s tough to see.”
Ivey is expected to be out at least through the end of the regular season, with a chance he could return for the playoffs if Detroit makes a run, but signs show they will take his recovery slowly. Prior to his injury Ivey had scored at least 15 points in the last five games, a mark only hit in one other stretch this season.
Detroit has struggled over the past few years to have a winning record, but in 2024-25 there were signs of hope that they could at least make the Play-In Tournament and perhaps make a run in the Eastern Conference. As of the win on Wednesday night, the Pistons sit at 15-18 and ninth in the East after winning six of their last nine games to jump up multiple spots in the standings.
Cade Cunningham has been the leader for Detroit, and with Ivey out for the foreseeable future, his workload will only increase for the team. Through 33 games so far this year, the fourth-year man out of Oklahoma State is averaging a career-high 23.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and a league-third 9.7 assists per game.
Behind Cunningham and Ivey this year for the Pistons has been Malik Beasley, who despite only starting eight of the 30 games he’s appeared in, is averaging a team-third 16.2 points per game along with 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. have also been helpful additions to this year’s squad, averaging 13 and 10 points respectively, but each are going to need to step up to replace the 17 points a night missing with Ivey now out.
Detroit will also be looking at 2023 fifth overall pick Ausar Thompson to help, but the second-year guard has only played 13 total games this year averaging 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds when he has seen action.
The loss of Ivey for Detroit is big, and will most certainly not go unnoticed if other players don’t step up. Despite that, making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference isn’t the most difficult thing to do, and if they can keep their season alive into April and May perhaps Ivey will be able to make a comeback.
Coming up the Pistons have some must-win games against the Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, and Toronto Raptors if they want to keep themselves in the playoff picture.
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