Pistons Big Man Makes Emotional Statement After Jaden Ivey Injury

Jalen Duren speaks on Jaden Ivey's injury following win vs Magic.

Dec 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) reacts in the first half against the Miami Heat at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

During the fourth quarter of their matchup with the Orlando Magic, the Detroit Pistons looked on their way to another victory. While they did end up securing a win, things ended up taking a scary turn.

While diving for a loose ball, Magic guard Cole Anthony crashed into the leg of Jaden Ivey. After landing awkwardly, the Pistons guard would remain on the floor with an apparent injury. Ivey would end up being unable to leave the court on his own merit, and was taken to the back in a stretcher.

Heartbreaking moments like this could unravel a team, but that wasn't the case on Wednesday. The Pistons banded together to make sure they walked away victorious, and did so by a final score of 105-96. After the final buzzer, Jalen Duren had an emotional statement regarding his teammate. He is wishing the best for him and stated that the team dedicated the win to him.

"It's tough. Like I said that's our brother," Duren said postgame. "That's a guy that I've been with my whole career. To see him go down like that, you never want to see that in this game. We're going to keep him in our prayers, we praying for him throughout the game, and we got this win for him."

Despite the win, Jalen Duren's thoughts are with Jaden Ivey.#DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/ijfotu4liq

— FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (@FanDuelSN_DET) January 2, 2025

Before getting hurt, Ivey was putting together an impressive outing against the Magic. He ended the night with a team-high 22 points on stellar 8-for-11 shooting from the field.

This injury is a tough blow for Ivey and the Pistons. The former No. 5 pick was putting together his best season in the pros, and was emerging as a strong backcourt partner for Cade Cunningham. Now, all his focus and energy will go into recovery and getting back on the floor healthy again.

In the meantime, the Pistons will have to find a way to fill the void left by Ivey as a group.