Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey on main emotion: ‘Gratitude’
Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey said his main emotion is “gratitude” and that he thinks his injuries taught him patience on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025.
INDIANAPOLIS — A special night for the Detroit Pistons also was a study in contrasts.
Two years ago to the day – on Nov. 24, 2023, right there in Gainbridge Fieldhouse – they were outscored by 22 points in the fourth quarter by the Indiana Pacers en route to their 13th straight defeat. That loss, though one of many, wasn’t quite historic – it was merely near the halfway point of their eventual 28-game losing streak to set an NBA record.
And now, in 2025, the Pistons are streaking again. Their 122-117 win over the Pacers on Monday was their 13th win in a row, tying a franchise record previously set in the 1989-90 season and matched in 2003-04 — seasons that both ended with NBA titles.
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Monday’s win was the Pistons’ 15th this season – one more than they won in all of that 2023-24 campaign, the franchise’s worst. This season, at 15-2 overall, Detroit has the best record in the East and is on pace for 72 wins, which would far outdo last year’s 44-win total, not to mention the franchise record of 64 wins in 2005-06 – the only other 15-2 start in Pistons history.
But the lack of fanfare Monday night might say more about this team’s growth than the win itself. The Pistons acknowledged the significance of it, but otherwise? It was business as usual during postgame interviews at the podium and in the locker room.
“We never talked about it,” guard Cade Cunningham said of the streak. “We wanted to find our way to the top of the league. We’ve seen the bottom of the league before. It’s pretty cool that we had the worst streak in franchise history and now we have an opportunity to go have the greatest streak in franchise history.
“We’re excited about the opportunity, but this is just a product of the work,” continued Cunningham, who led the effort with 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. “This isn’t what we were going for; we still have bigger things to do.”
The mood was mellow afterward, in part, because what should’ve been a decisive win turned into a nailbiter. The Pistons led by 18 early in the fourth quarter before slipping defensively and allowing the Pacers to hit 11 of 21 shots (52.4%) to whittle it down to two points with under two minutes to play.
They held on thanks to clutch work from Cunningham, who knocked down a hook to make it a two-possession game late, and a pair of clinching free throws from Caris LeVert. After the game, coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he wants the team to be “greedier” in such moments and continue executing defensively.
“I don’t want to be dismissive, and I understand what the accomplishment is and how rare and unique it is, obviously,” Bickerstaff said. “Our focus has to be on Wednesday, and then it’s gotta be on practice and film tomorrow. But that’s where we’ll focus. We don’t take it for granted by any means, because we know how difficult these things are to come by. We’ve gotta get to tomorrow.”
To sustain success, the team understands it has to value the process over results.
“We’ve gotta stay hungry,” Cunningham said. “Can’t start feeling like we’re getting above ourselves or got everything figured out. It’s a long season. One game can send you in a spiral, we’ve seen that before.”
Even the most optimistic projections for the Pistons fell well short of where they currently are – and what they’re on pace to accomplish. They own the second-best record in the NBA, behind only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (at 17-1), thanks to their third-ranked defense and a roster improved both at the top and bottom.
Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart are two of the league’s best defenders and spearhead a physical, stifling approach on that end of the floor. And the Pistons’ bench has revealed itself as one of the deepest in the league, allowing them to weather injuries to core players.
Tobias Harris recently returned from a nine-game absence. LeVert has missed five, Thompson four, Cunningham and Stewart three apiece. Daniss Jenkins has been the best two-way contract player in the league – a legitimate NBA talent. Paul Reed and Javonte Green have maximized their limited roles. The Pistons have stacked wins with every healthy player contributing toward them.
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There’s a maturity and confidence with this group, born of being tested by historic adversity two years ago and a physical six-game, first-round playoff exit against the New York Knicks in April.
The Pistons are on the cusp of setting a franchise record with a 14th straight win; that can come when they face the Boston Celtics on the road Wednesday (5 p.m., ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit). In a long season, the Pistons still have much to prove. But winning feels good, especially for the cohort of players who experienced the bottom two years ago.
“We were talked bad about, we were the laughingstocks, and now that the tables have turned, everybody wants to be on this side,” Stewart said. “Everybody wants to be on the wagon and everybody wants to say great things about us. That’s a good thing, that’s a good thing. We’re not taking that lightly. All we’re doing is just keeping our heads down and taking it day by day.”
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