Jaden Ivey reflects on season debut in win over Bucks

The Detroit Pistons got a big boost Saturday night at guard Jaden Ivey made his long-awaited regular season debut. He made a useful impact in his first game back, the Pistons’ 129-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The win marks the team’s 12th straight win for Detroit, adding to their 14-2 record as the current #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Ivey came off the bench and scored 10 points in 15 minutes. He was on a minutes limit in his first game and made a positive impression in his return to the Pistons.

Evey spoke to the media during the postgame about how it felt to be back with his team for the first time since January.

“Just gratitude. The trial the last few months has been very humbling for me. This trial has been really good for me. And I think the word for that is grateful. I just appreciated the moment to get back out there tonight,” Ivey explained. “Going into it, I was trying to wrap my head around it since it’s been so long. It took me a while to get used to getting warmed up and going through a normal routine again. I had so much gratitude to be back out there again.”

2025 has been a long road to recovery for the Pistons’ starting point guard. Ivey has not been available for a regular season game since he broke his fibula against the Orlando Magic last season. Ivey’s health also suffered another setback during the preseason as he experienced knee discomfort following Detroit’s matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. He decided to have surgery to take care of his knee problem.

Head coach JB Bickerstaff had a plan to keep Ivey’s workload light while he worked his way back into the rotation. However, his impact was clear in his limited time on the floor, especially on offense. Ivey knocked down a catch-and-shoot three, transition layups, a mid-step back and created open looks for his teammates.

Ivey received encouraging praise from his teammates such as Cade Cunningham after putting it back on the floor.

“It means a lot. To have the jersey, to play, to be on the field, it was like seeing him at home. And he looked good today. I thought he looked very comfortable out there. It didn’t look like he missed as much time as he has,” Cunningham said. “It’s a credit to his work and how much time he’s put into it. We’re all super happy to have him back there.”

Cunningham finished with a near triple-double, posting 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to help lead the Bucks to victory. Cunningham continues to make history by becoming one of six players in league history (Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Nate Archibald) to record six consecutive games with at least 25 points and 10 assists.

The Pistons also welcomed the return of veteran Tobias Harris to the starting lineup. Harris picked up where he left off with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range. Center Jalen Duren continued his impressive play, scoring 19 points in 27 minutes. Guard Duncan Robinson remained in a positive shooting rhythm, connecting on five three-pointers for 15 points.