Jaden Ivey Returns, Pistons Push Winning Run to 12
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MILWAUKEE – Detroit guard Jaden Ivey played his first regular-season game in nearly 11 months Saturday night, scoring 10 points as the Pistons defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 129-116 for their 12th consecutive victory.
Ivey, sidelined since fracturing the fibula in his left leg on Jan. 1 and later undergoing right-knee surgery on Oct. 16, logged 15 minutes off the bench. He hit 4 of 6 shots, handed out two assists and collected a steal.
“Just cherished the moment to be back out there,” Ivey said afterward. “It took a while for me to get used to the normal routine again, but there was so much gratitude to be out there.”
The win matched the third-longest streak in franchise history; Detroit’s record is 13 straight, reached in 1989-90 and 2003-04, both championship seasons. The Pistons also halted a 13-game skid against Milwaukee, which had swept the season series each of the past three years.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. “I don’t think any franchise should have that over ours,” Cunningham said of the previous run of losses to the Bucks. “We take playing for the Pistons seriously.”
Two seasons removed from finishing a league-worst 14-68, Detroit now owns the Eastern Conference’s best record at 14-2. Center Jalen Duren noted the rapid turnaround: “It feels good, but it’s early. We’ve got a lot more room to grow.”
Source: ESPN
