The Pistons’ defensive stubborn Isaiah Stewart will not face the Knicks on Monday night in Game 2 due to inflammation in his right knee.
Stewart was listed as suspicious with inflammation in his right knee prior to Game 2, and was then reported as “outing” within three hours of the game.
This is a huge loss for the Pistons to rely on Stewart to become an air traffic controller on defense.
His status for the rest of the first round series remained unknown as of Monday.
Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said Stewart’s availability will be determined on a “day-to-day” basis.
Stewart stepped into the playoffs as the same right knee issue stood by for the Pistons’ final two regular-season games.
Stewart, a product from Rochester, New York, struggled with most of the 19-minute action on Saturday with the Knicks’ 123-112 victory.
He saw him win after alley dunks in the first quarter.
He appeared to be dealing with discomfort in his right leg before finally checking out at the 9:06 mark in the fourth quarter.
Sny reported that Stewart imagined and imagined on Saturday night with his right foot.
Stewart’s advance availability has a major impact on this first round series for the Pistons.
He was the best rim protector in basketball as Spurs star Victor Wenbanyama was injured in mid-February.
Stewart is the Pistons’ defensive anchor.
Not only does he patrol the paint, but his versatility and size allow him to move in space and protect his boundaries.
Every time Stewart gets off the floor, his absence is felt.
Take the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game as a typical example.
Stewart headed to the locker room at the start of the Knicks’ comeback.
When he left the game, the piston rose six times.
At the final 9:06, the Knicks outperformed Detroit 31-14, taking a 1-0 lead in the top 7 series.
Stewart finished Saturday with five rebounds and two blocking shots in his playoff debut.
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He was also the team’s best plus 8.
Even if Stewart stands on the sidelines, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau believes the Pistons can bring a tough defensive challenge to his team.
“They have versatility,” Thibodeau said before the match. “They have other people who can play through that position… that’s kind of the nature of our league, and the next guy gets in there, and I always say you can’t be here unless you’re a great player.
Expect Jalen Duren and Paul Reed to be among those trying to fill the void left in Stewart’s absence.
Having made his playoff debut on Saturday with seven points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocking shots, Duren has consistently shown his development as a defender throughout the season.
The third-year center averages 10.3 rebounds, a career-high 1.1 blocks per game.
“JD has to step up for us and absorb a lot of those minutes, and he has proven that he can do that,” says Bickerstaff. “He’s done it for us all season, so I think it starts there with him.”
Meanwhile, the team’s third center, Reid, did not appear in Saturday’s game, but could make his 2025 playoff debut on Monday.
In 45 games this season, he averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds.
