Suns’ Drew Eubanks Explains Incident With Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart

Despite being off the court for the time being, Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart made headlines on Wednesday night as he was involved in an altercation with Phoenix Suns veteran Drew Eubanks ahead of the Pistons’ matchup against the Suns.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Stewart and Eubanks engaged in a verbal altercation that turned physical when Stewart threw a punch. Per the report, the players had to be separated, and there was a police presence at the scene at the Footprint Center.

In the Suns locker room before the game, Eubanks addressed reporters in attendance as the public was made aware of the incident. While Eubanks didn’t go fully in-depth describing the scuffle, he briefed reporters on the altercation, according to PHNX’s Gerald Bourget.

“Basically, we were walking in, words were said, and then got face-to-face, and he just sucker-punched me,” Eubanks told reporters. “Security got in the way.”

The Phoenix veteran noted that the drama stemmed from something basketball-related. Hinting that the reasoning for jawing back and forth was likely trash talk, which led to a heated exchange, Eubanks claimed to be far from surprised about Stewart’s actions that seemed to have gone too far.

“Clearly, you can see what he does, how he acts on the court, so it’s not surprising,” Eubanks added.

To no surprise, the NBA will investigate the incident, which could expectedly lead to consequences for Stewart — and possibly Eubanks — depending on what the security footage and witnesses around the incident reveal.

Pistons Preparing for Return of Isaiah Stewart

For now, the situation doesn’t seem good for Stewart, who was eyeing a return to the court following the NBA All-Star break. Over the last couple of weeks, Stewart has been healing from an ankle injury. Now, he could be facing a possible suspension, potentially pushing his return back.

As for Eubanks, he claims to be “straight” after taking a punch. He then proceeded to suit up and face the Pistons on Wednesday night.