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Detroit Pistons Make Final Call on Isaiah Stewart vs Knicks

Isaiah Stewart will miss Game 5 between the Pistons and the Knicks.
Justin Grasso|
Mar 30, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) gestures towards the crowd after a fight against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at Target Center. Stewart was later ejected from the game. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Mar 30, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) gestures towards the crowd after a fight against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at Target Center. Stewart was later ejected from the game. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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Detroit PistonsNew York Knicks

Heading into Game 5, the Detroit Pistons made a critical call regarding their center, Isaiah Stewart.

According to the official NBA injury report, Stewart was listed as questionable due to knee inflammation leading up to the matchup. Just a couple of hours before the game is set to tip off, the Pistons made the final call on Stewart’s status, ruling him out officially.

For Stewart, Tuesday’s absence marks his fourth in a row.

As the 2024-2025 NBA season was winding down, Stewart missed the final two games of the year due to knee concerns. Despite having plenty of time to rest and recover, the concerns leaked over into the playoffs.

Although the Pistons excluded Stewart from the Game 1 injury report, he didn’t finish the matchup healthy. After checking in for 19 minutes, JB Bickerstaff admittedly held the veteran center out for the majority of the fourth quarter.

Isaiah Stewar
Apr 5, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) boxes out Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) on a foul shot in the fourth quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

After the Game 1 loss, Stewart underwent an MRI. He wasn’t diagnosed with a concerning injury, but the Pistons kept him on the injury report and considered him day-to-day since. Unfortunately, he was ruled out for every other matchup in the playoffs. Stewart joins Jaden Ivey as the only other Pistons player on the injury report currently.

On Tuesday, the Pistons’ backs are against the wall. Facing the Knicks in New York, Detroit must win or else their season concludes with a 4-1 loss in round one.

The Pistons and the Knicks will begin their Game 5 battle at 7:30 PM ET.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 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

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