Little Caesar’s Arena went numb and was full of emotions watching Jaden Ivey lay on the ground, grimacing in pain. The incident left his teammates and some of the Magic teary-eyed. Particularly Cole Anthony. The Orlando star was part of the play that unfortunately saw Ivey suffer a horrific injury during the cutthroat clash. To be clear, there really was no malice or ill intentions involved.

Both Anthony and the young pacy guard tried to go for a loose ball. The North Carolina alumnus dove while Jaden remained on his feet. The Pistons guard got to the ball first, but Anthony, unable to stop his momentum, crashed into his rival’s lower body, badly.

It caused Jaden Ivey’s left leg to almost tuck under him. The game immediately stopped and everyone in the arena watched in silence. Both teams surrounded the injured player as he got treatment before being stretchered off the floor. The former All-Rookie guard was stretchered off to a roaring applause, as the Pistons formed a huddle to pray for their teammate.

It was sad, as Jaden Ivey was in the process of having one of his best games. He compiled 22 points, having made five threes to give the Detroit side a shallow lead. While his night did end prematurely, the fans got together to give the 22-year-old strength.

Jaden Ivey gets the support of the NBA community, as they express extreme sadness: “He was having a great season…”

The crowd at Little Caesar’s Arena all stood up. A chant of “Ivey” rang around the stadium. And the online community offered their positivity with equal energy. “Man, very emotional moment in Detroit. Prayers for Jaden Ivey” a fan wrote.

Ivey was in the midst of one of the better scoring runs in his career. Aside from an audacious game-winner against the Suns, the 22-year-old has scored 15+ points in his last five games. Against the Magic, it looked as if Ivey would have one of the performances of his life. Sadly, a freak injury prevented him from doing so.

The Pistons X handle also sent their well wishes, as Ivey will begin his recovery process after assessing the injury’s extent. But fans couldn’t help but notice a pattern. A netizen said, “That’s awful. Medical staff covered Jaden Ivey’s leg. That’s never a good sign.”

Aside from the gruesome graphics showing the nasty injury, Jaden Ivey’s reaction had everybody worrying immediately. The usually stone-faced guard coiled up on the floor holding his left ankle. Such ailments are usually attributed to a long-term recovery process. But so far, everybody is praying it is not as serious as it looked. The energy in the arena did drop after the incident, though.

Before his injury, the game looked to be on pace to be a nail-biter, along with being a coming-of-the-age night for Jaden Ivey himself. Sadly, although the Pistons secured the win, the fans had their thoughts locked in on the explosive guard.

“This win hurts more than it feels good. Awful scene with Jaden Ivey. Really proud of this team for winning this game for him. The rest of this season is for Ivey,” a Pistons fan wrote. The celebrations too were dim, as Ivey’s teammates had his health on their minds. They are all hopeful for him to return as soon as possible. 

Recovering from such an injury means losing a lot of rhythm. In Ivey’s case, the stalwart had one of the best starts. And fans felt the pain of his best season being cut short due to a freak accident. A fan expressed, “Not Jaden Ivey, he was having a great season…”

Jaden Ivey was displaying ravishing improvements on both sides of the floor. His tenacity has played an integral role in the Detroit Pistons’ rampant ascension this season. Almost everything in Ivey’s stat line has seen an upgrade when compared to last season. The 22-year-old was averaging a career-high in points and shooting nearly 40% from 3 before his glorious performance against Orlando.