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NEW YORK — Isaiah Stewart’s impact on the game became evident the moment he left.
The Detroit Pistons’ big man exited Game 1 against the New York Knicks Saturday at the 9:06 mark of the fourth quarter. On cue, the Knicks immediately went on a decisive 21-0 run that flipped a 98-90 Pistons lead to a 13-point deficit with under five minutes to play.
His status for Game 2, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday at Madison Square Garden, is unclear. He labored as he ran up and down the floor while nursing a lower body injury, and eventually motioned to the coaching staff to remove him from the game. Even while playing injured, his defensive impact was obvious.
“I think we all felt it,” J.B. Bickerstaff said after the team’s film session at their hotel Sunday. “He was phenomenal last night. His effort, how he protected the rim, the energy that he brought, how his teammates fed off of his injury was huge.
"When he’s not on the floor for us, we all have to bring that. We have to find a way because we can’t just lean on him all the time or expect it to just be him. We have to play with that same ferociousness and that effort that he does.”
More: Cade Cunningham knows what playoffs are about now. Next game he's got to be better.
Stewart didn’t carry an injury designation entering the game, but he missed the Pistons’ final two regular-season games with right knee inflammation. Bickerstaff didn’t confirm if that’s the injury that’s still ailing him, but implied that the issue might be deeper than just inflammation.
SportsNet New York Knicks reporter Ian Begley reported Sunday that Stewart had to get imaging on his leg done after the game. The NBA's injury report lists Stewart as questionable for Game 2.
“Uh, there’s a lot going on there,” Bickerstaff said about the injury.
As the backbone of the Pistons’ defense, Stewart’s importance in this series is paramount. He’s not only their top rim protector, but can capably move in space as well. Whether the matchup is Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the Knicks’ three starting wings or even Jalen Brunson, the coaching staff can trust that Stewart will, at minimum, hold his own.
If he misses time, both Jalen Duren and Paul Reed will have to step up. It was a quiet playoff debut for Duren, who finished with seven points, six rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes. The third-year center had moments, including a highlight block on a Landry Shamet dunk attempt during the first half.
The Knicks are a challenging matchup, given Towns’ ability to space the floor and Brunson’s herky-jerky penetration and midrange shooting.
“Everything,” Bickerstaff said when asked what Duren could learn from the game. “It is different. But you know just like a regular season game you have to be the best version of yourself.
"I know and I expect more, and I know that he’ll give us more because he has all year. In these moments, you have to be able to exceed what you’ve think you’ve already done or maybe be capable of.
“There is no, take a possession off, take a play off. It’s every single possession, you have to bring your best.”
The Pistons were unable to contain Brunson down the stretch after limiting him to 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting in the first half. He exceeded that point total in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting as the Knicks outscored the Pistons 40-21 for a comeback win. As a team, the Knicks shot 70.8% (17-for-24) in the fourth.
It wasn’t just Stewart’s defense that cost them down the stretch. The Pistons had too many self-inflicted mistakes, with six turnovers in the final period for 11 Knicks points. Their offense collapsed, shooting just 7-for-22 (31.8%). After 40 minutes of good play, their inexperience showed.
The growing pains are expected, given that it’s the first playoff series for most of the core rotation. But they’ll be harder to withstand without Stewart providing insurance on the back line.
“It definitely hurt,” Malik Beasley said. “Stew’s a guy, I don’t care what anybody says, he’s here for us, he only cares about us. To not have him out there in the fourth quarter hurt us a little bit, but as a team we’re grit and grind and we have to have next man up mentality.
"We’ve got his back, he knows we’ve got his back and whatever our depth is, we’re ready for it.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Detroit Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).
Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).
Matchup: Pistons (0-1) at New York (1-0), Game 2 of first-round playoff series.
Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Monday; Madison Square Garden, New York.
TV/radio: FSND, TNT, truTV; WXYT-FM (97.1).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Isaiah Stewart injury update: Status of Pistons C for Game 2 vs Knicks
Continue reading...
The Detroit Pistons’ big man exited Game 1 against the New York Knicks Saturday at the 9:06 mark of the fourth quarter. On cue, the Knicks immediately went on a decisive 21-0 run that flipped a 98-90 Pistons lead to a 13-point deficit with under five minutes to play.
His status for Game 2, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday at Madison Square Garden, is unclear. He labored as he ran up and down the floor while nursing a lower body injury, and eventually motioned to the coaching staff to remove him from the game. Even while playing injured, his defensive impact was obvious.
“I think we all felt it,” J.B. Bickerstaff said after the team’s film session at their hotel Sunday. “He was phenomenal last night. His effort, how he protected the rim, the energy that he brought, how his teammates fed off of his injury was huge.
"When he’s not on the floor for us, we all have to bring that. We have to find a way because we can’t just lean on him all the time or expect it to just be him. We have to play with that same ferociousness and that effort that he does.”
More: Cade Cunningham knows what playoffs are about now. Next game he's got to be better.
Stewart didn’t carry an injury designation entering the game, but he missed the Pistons’ final two regular-season games with right knee inflammation. Bickerstaff didn’t confirm if that’s the injury that’s still ailing him, but implied that the issue might be deeper than just inflammation.
SportsNet New York Knicks reporter Ian Begley reported Sunday that Stewart had to get imaging on his leg done after the game. The NBA's injury report lists Stewart as questionable for Game 2.
“Uh, there’s a lot going on there,” Bickerstaff said about the injury.
As the backbone of the Pistons’ defense, Stewart’s importance in this series is paramount. He’s not only their top rim protector, but can capably move in space as well. Whether the matchup is Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the Knicks’ three starting wings or even Jalen Brunson, the coaching staff can trust that Stewart will, at minimum, hold his own.
If he misses time, both Jalen Duren and Paul Reed will have to step up. It was a quiet playoff debut for Duren, who finished with seven points, six rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes. The third-year center had moments, including a highlight block on a Landry Shamet dunk attempt during the first half.
The Knicks are a challenging matchup, given Towns’ ability to space the floor and Brunson’s herky-jerky penetration and midrange shooting.
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“Everything,” Bickerstaff said when asked what Duren could learn from the game. “It is different. But you know just like a regular season game you have to be the best version of yourself.
"I know and I expect more, and I know that he’ll give us more because he has all year. In these moments, you have to be able to exceed what you’ve think you’ve already done or maybe be capable of.
“There is no, take a possession off, take a play off. It’s every single possession, you have to bring your best.”
The Pistons were unable to contain Brunson down the stretch after limiting him to 11 points on 4-for-15 shooting in the first half. He exceeded that point total in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting as the Knicks outscored the Pistons 40-21 for a comeback win. As a team, the Knicks shot 70.8% (17-for-24) in the fourth.
It wasn’t just Stewart’s defense that cost them down the stretch. The Pistons had too many self-inflicted mistakes, with six turnovers in the final period for 11 Knicks points. Their offense collapsed, shooting just 7-for-22 (31.8%). After 40 minutes of good play, their inexperience showed.
The growing pains are expected, given that it’s the first playoff series for most of the core rotation. But they’ll be harder to withstand without Stewart providing insurance on the back line.
“It definitely hurt,” Malik Beasley said. “Stew’s a guy, I don’t care what anybody says, he’s here for us, he only cares about us. To not have him out there in the fourth quarter hurt us a little bit, but as a team we’re grit and grind and we have to have next man up mentality.
"We’ve got his back, he knows we’ve got his back and whatever our depth is, we’re ready for it.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Detroit Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify).
Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).
Next up: Knicks
Matchup: Pistons (0-1) at New York (1-0), Game 2 of first-round playoff series.
Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Monday; Madison Square Garden, New York.
TV/radio: FSND, TNT, truTV; WXYT-FM (97.1).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Isaiah Stewart injury update: Status of Pistons C for Game 2 vs Knicks
Continue reading...
