What happened to Isaiah Stewart? NBA insider shares latest on Pistons center's lower leg injury

Modified Apr 20, 2025 21:51 GMT

NBA: Detroit Pistons at Minnesota Timberwolves - Source: Imagn — What happened to Isaiah Stewart? (Photo credits: IMAGN)

The Detroit Pistons could end up shorthanded against the New York Knicks following Isaiah Stewart's injury. The forward left the first game early hobbling with a little over nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. He did not return for the remainder of the contest.

As per reporter Ian Begley, the Pistons enforcer had to get imaging to assess his right leg.

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Isaiah Stewart missed the last two games of the regular season due to a right knee inflammation. He was cleared to play in Game 1, but the injury to his right knee was still bothering him.

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He left the game after only 19 minutes of action. Stewart registered two points on a 1-for-2 shooting clip. He also had five rebounds, one assist and two blocks. He was a +8 on the +/-, meaning the Pistons outscored the Knicks by eight points when he was on the floor.

Stewart is listed as questionable for Game 2, which will take place on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET. He joins guard Jaden Ivey on Detroit's injured players list, who has been out since Jan. 3 due to a broken left fibula.

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Detroit Pistons allowed the New York Knicks to go on a massive run after Isaiah Stewart's exit

Isaiah Stewart is the type of player whose contributions don't show up on the box score. As a defensive enforcer, he usually makes things hard for offenses and that doesn't necessarily translate to blocks or steals.

His value to Detroit became evident after what happened when he exited Game 1. When he left the game in the 9:06 mark, the Pistons were up 98-92. New York would score 19 unanswered points after he left to cap a 21-0 run.

The Pistons would not score again until the 4:35 mark when Malik Beasley hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 101-111. During this stretch, there was an obvious lack of rebounding and defense from Detroit. New York rode that run to a 123-112 victory and is now up 1-0 in their series.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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Edited by Satagni Sikder