All 76ers

Detroit Pistons Big Man Tossed From 76ers Matchup

Pistons center Isaiah Stewart was ejected vs. 76ers on Wednesday.
Justin Grasso|
Detroit Pistons Big Man Tossed From 76ers Matchup
Detroit Pistons Big Man Tossed From 76ers Matchup

In this story:

Philadelphia 76ersDetroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons’ Wednesday night matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers went from bad to worse late in the third quarter after they lost their starting center, Isaiah Stewart.

As a frustrated Stewart made contact with Sixers guard Patrick Beverley, Stewart’s force with his extension of the arm called for the officials to review the play for a flagrant foul after Beverley was knocked onto the ground.

After a quick review, Stewart was hit with a flagrant two-foul call, leading to an immediate ejection. The Pistons’ starting center went back to the home locker room after checking in for 22 minutes. During that time, he made one of his three shots from the field and went 2-2 from the free throw line. He wrapped up the night with four points, four rebounds, and two assists.

While Stewart’s early exit certainly wasn’t a good look for the Pistons, Detroit was already deep into a deficit they were on the wrong side of. After the third quarter wrapped up, the Sixers possessed a 104-80 lead.

Stewart’s primary assignment, Joel Embiid, was cooking the Pistons’ defense offensively through three quarters. In 31 minutes of action, Embiid knocked down 14 of his 24 shots from the field. He also went to the free throw line for 12 shots, and he found success on every attempt.

Embiid entered the fourth quarter with 41 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. 

When Stewart exited Wednesday’s game, the Pistons were headed towards their 21st straight loss. This year, the rebuilding Pistons have struggled to find success, as they had just two wins in their first 23 games of the season. A win for the Sixers on Wednesday would mark a second victory for Philadelphia over Detroit this year.

On Friday, the two teams will meet once again in South Philly on the Sixers’ home court. Stewart and the Pistons will get another crack at the Sixers to see if they can break out of their major slump. 

Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow @JGrasso_
Home/News