Jaden Ivey scored 22 points before suffering a potentially serious left leg injury as the host Detroit Pistons defeated the Orlando Magic 105-96 on Wednesday night.
Ivey was injured when Orlando’s Cole Anthony dove for a loose ball early in the fourth quarter and crashed into Ivey’s leg. He left the court on a stretcher.
Cade Cunningham contributed 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Jalen Duren had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Tobias Harris supplied 17 points and eight rebounds, and Tim Hardaway Jr. tossed in 12 points for Detroit, which has won four of its last five games.
Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 24 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 21 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 15 points and eight rebounds.
The Pistons shot 64.1 percent from the field in the first half and grabbed a 65-49 halftime lead. Ivey had 16 points and Cunningham scored 12 as they combined to make all seven of their 3-point attempts. Orlando was already down by eight points with 3:30 left in the half, and the Pistons added to the cushion finished with a 14-6 run.
Orlando scored on its first three possessions of the second half, prompting a Pistons timeout. Detroit quickly pushed the lead to 18, 73-55, on another 3-pointer by Ivey off a feed from Cunningham.
After a basket by Suggs pulled the Magic within 13 points, Duren made two dunks during a 6-1 Pistons spurt.
Suggs then sparked an Orlando rally, contributing six points, a block and an assist during a 14-1 run. Detroit scored the last two baskets of the quarter, including a layup by Ivey, as it brought an 84-75 lead into the fourth.
The Magic scored the first four points of the fourth quarter prior to Ivey’s injury with 10:07 left.
Orlando continued to put the pressure on. Carter’s basket with 7:40 remaining cut Detroit’s lead to three.
With the score 93-90, the Pistons pulled away again. Duren scored on a putback and Harris made a jumper. Hardaway hit a midrange shot, and Harris converted a bank shot to make it 101-90. The Magic never got closer than seven points again.
–Field Level Media
