Former Purdue Basketball Star Jaden Ivey Shines in NBA Summer League Debut
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LAS VEGAS — Former Purdue basketball star and No. 5 overall draft pick Jaden Ivey got his first taste of the NBA late Thursday night at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Ivey scored a team-high 20 points while also recording six rebounds and six assists to lead the Detroit Pistons to an 81-78 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The 6-foot-4 rookie earned Player of the Game honors following his debut performance.
Ivey saw a game-high 32 minutes on the floor as nine players for the Pistons did not participate in the game due to a coach's decision. However, it didn't take long for the South Bend, Indiana, native to show up on the stat sheet.
Detroit opened the game on the offensive end of the floor, and in less than 15 seconds, Ivey came hard off a screen and received a pass from a teammate before throwing a lob to fellow rookie Jalen Duren who was crashing toward the rim along the right baseline.
Duren secured the high ball and slammed it home to put the first points on the board. The Pistons ran ahead to a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.
It took time for Ivey to find his rhythm as a scorer in his first NBA action, but he made up for it by attacking the paint and finding open teammates on the perimeter. He constantly flashed the speed and athleticism that made him such a threat at the college level with the Boilermakers.
With just over 30 seconds left in the game, Ivey quickly snaked his way through the Portland defense and finished the rim to give Detroit an 80-75 lead
The first-round pick for Detroit went 6-14 from the floor, including 2-5 from the 3-point line, while also knocking down all six of his attempted free throws. Ivey would also finish the game with five turnovers.
The Pistons' next matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET against the Washington Wizards. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
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