Jaden Ivey returns, gives Pistons a spark in win over Suns to start trip

Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News on Dec 21, 2024

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PHOENIX — Jaden Ivey spent the last six days dejected because he could not help his team. About 15 minutes before the Detroit Pistons’ opening tipoff against the Miami Heat on Monday, Ivey was a late scratch due to inflammation in his left knee. The injury kept Ivey sidelined for two games.

But Saturday night at the Footprint Center, Ivey had an impressive return. He came close to a triple-double with 20 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in 24 minutes. Ivey was essential in the Pistons' 133-125 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

He struggled in the five games he played before the knee injury, averaging 12.0 points on 32.3% shooting. The Pistons are 12-17 overall.

Ivey added a dynamic playstyle that was missing from the Pistons’ disappointing loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. Detroit played at a faster pace, and his hustle improved the team’s defensive production.

Ivey’s impact helped the Pistons register their highest-scoring quarter of the season, with 41 points in the first. Although Detroit shot 63% from the field, including 6 of 10 on 3-point shooting, the Pistons dominated the Suns from the inside, with 18 points scored in the paint. Jalen Duren scored 10, including three alley-oops. He finished with 17 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.

With 3:31 left in the second quarter, Cade Cunningham found Ausar Thompson for an alley-oop dunk. The play led to the Pistons tying their largest lead of the night at 15. However, Detroit’s play on both ends became stagnant. Phoenix closed the first half on a 12-2 run.

Cunningham recorded his 14th double-double of the season with 28 points and 13 assists. He also recorded a trio of highlights with one-handed dunks over the top of Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkić. Midway through the third quarter, Cunningham connected on a step-back 3-point field goal over Kevin Durant.

The Suns battled back on several occasions. At one time, Durant's 3-point basket cut Phoenix's double-digit deficit to five with 3:31 left in the third quarter. Durant scored a season-high 43 points on 14-of-26 shooting, going 4 of 9 from deep for the short-handed Suns.

Devin Booker missed the game due to a hamstring injury. Royce O’Neal started in place of Booker and played a role in the Suns' comeback attempt. At the 3:30 mark of the fourth quarter, O'Neal's 3-pointer cut the Pistons' lead to 120-115. It marked the third time Phoenix cut its deficit to five.

However, similar to their other efforts, the Suns allowed the Pistons to regain their momentum. Following Durant's free throws, Malik Beasley connected on a huge triple to give Detroit a 125-119 lead. Bradley Beal scored 26 points. Tyus Jones helped the scoring load by adding 19.

Observations and notes vs. Suns

— Cunningham takes the honor of defending Durant: Since taking over as coach of the Pistons in July, J.B. Bickerstaff has raved about Cunningham’s defense due to his size and effort. After the first 28 games, Cunningham has proved Bickerstaff right amid the best defensive start of his career.

Against the Suns, Bickerstaff tested Cunningham's progression by assigning him Durant. Similar to most players who have defended the future Hall of Famer one-on-one for 18 seasons, Cunningham tried his best and had a few positive moments despite Durant's efficient scoring performance.

Cunningham's best defensive moment against Durant came midway through the first quarter when he stripped the ball from the hands of the former league MVP.

— A team effort in the Valley: The Pistons had arguably their best team performance of the season. They had seven players who scored in double figures. Beasley scored 18 points off the bench, while Simone Fontecchio poured in 10. Tim Hardaway Jr. had a solid shooting performance, going 4 of 6 from deep for 16 points.

— Penalties handed down for Thursday night's altercation: The NBA announced on Saturday that Jordan Clarkson, Ron Holland II and Paul Reed have each received penalties for their involvement in Thursday night’s skirmish between the Pistons and Jazz.

Reed was fined $15,000 for initiating the altercation, while the league penalized Holland $25,000 for escalating the situation. Clarkson received the largest fine, $35,000, for escalating the on-court incident and throwing his headband into the stands following his ejection.

Up next

The Pistons will continue their four-game western trip Monday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. After a two-day break, they will travel to Sacramento on Dec. 26 to play the Kings. Tipoff between the Pistons and Lakers is slated for 10:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena.