Jaden Ivey made a lot of shots Monday night. None bigger was the one he hit at the buzzer.
Ivey was a highly efficient 10-of-13 from the floor in the Detroit Pistons’ 102-100 win over their trans-border rivals, the Toronto Raptors. He finished with 25 points and eight assists in the game, lifting his teammates during an otherwise rough shooting night in the absence of Cade Cunningham, who was out for his second straight game with a hip injury.
The non-Ivey Pistons shot only 38 percent, making Ivey’s offensive heroics crucial, especially after a wild final 3:01, which featured eight different ties or lead changes. Ivey got to the line and split two free throws with 2:31 to go but very much redeemed himself at the end.
Under head coach Monty Williams last season, Ivey had a disappointing sophomore season, where he lost his spot in the starting lineup for part of the season and saw his shot opportunities drop. Now playing for J.B. Bickerstaff, Ivey’s scoring is up to 18.4 points per game, with a career-best 44.7 percent shooting from the field and 37.2 percent from three-point range.
He’s helped Detroit go from one of the league’s worst-shooting teams to a completely average shooting team, ranking 19th in field goal percentage and 16th in threes. They’re now 8-11 on the season and up to eighth place in the East. Last year, the Pistons didn’t get their eighth win until Feb. 8. Without two last-second losses to the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit could have a winning record.
The Raptors are struggling, but like the Pistons, they’ve got a team loaded with exciting young talent, even if they haven’t put it together yet. With these teams just a few hours away on Highway 401, this could be the start of a lasting rivalry between the two clubs.
