Pistons defensive stalwart Isaiah Stewart gained’t play Monday night time in Sport 2 of their first-round sequence towards the Knicks.
Stewart was listed as questionable with proper knee irritation forward of Sport 2 earlier than being reported as out lower than three hours earlier than the sport.
It’s a serious loss for the Pistons, who depend on Stewart to be their air-traffic controller on protection.
His standing for the rest of the first-round sequence stays unclear.
Stewart limped into the playoffs as the identical proper knee concern sidelined him for the Pistons’ closing two regular-season video games.
Stewart, a product of Rochester, labored via most of his 19 minutes of motion within the Knicks’ 123-112 win Saturday.
He was seen wincing after an alley-oop dunk within the first quarter.
He gave the impression to be coping with discomfort in his proper leg earlier than he checked out for the ultimate time on the 9:06 mark of the fourth quarter.
SNY reported that Stewart underwent imagining on his proper leg Saturday night time.
Stewart’s availability transferring ahead can have main implications on this first-round sequence for the Pistons.
Stewart has been the perfect rim protector in basketball since Spurs star Victor Wembanyama went down with an harm mid-February.
Stewart is the Pistons’ defensive anchor.
Not solely does he patrol the paint, however his versatility and measurement permits him to maneuver in house and guard the perimeter as nicely.
Every time Stewart is off the ground, his absence is felt.
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Take the fourth quarter of Saturday’s sport as a main instance of that.
Stewart headed to the locker room at the beginning of the Knicks’ comeback.
When he left the sport, the Pistons had been up by six.
Over the ultimate 9:06, New York outscored Detroit, 31-14, to take a 1-0 lead within the best-of-seven sequence.
Stewart completed Saturday with 5 rebounds and two blocked photographs in his playoff debut. He was additionally a team-best plus-eight.
With Stewart sidelined, Jalen Duren and Paul Reed shall be referred to as to step up.
Duren additionally made his playoff debut Saturday, recording seven factors, six rebounds, three assists and three blocked photographs.
In the meantime, Reed, the workforce’s No. 3 middle, didn’t seem in Saturday’s sport.
In 45 video games this season, Reed averaged 4.1 factors and a couple of.7 rebounds.
