Is Isaiah Stewart playing tonight against New York Knicks? Latest on Pistons star's status ahead of crucial Game 4 skirmish (Apr. 29)
The Detroit Pistons are on the brink of elimination in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They currently hold a 3-1 deficit against the New York Knicks ahead of Game 5, and their star center, Isaiah Stewart, is likely to miss out once again. He last appeared for his team in Game 1 but was unable to finish the contest due to an injury.
According to the injury report shared by the team at 3:30 a.m. ET, Stewart is still listed as questionable for their Game 5 fixture. The 23-year-old has been suffering from inflammation in his right knee and has only appeared in six of his team's last 10 games.
On the court for 19 minutes against the Knicks in Game 1 of the playoffs, the former Washington star struggled to keep up with the tempo of the game. He had little contribution during the matchup, recording five rebounds, two points and a single assist.
Stewart has been struggling with the knee injury for a while now, as he only averaged 22.7 minutes in his last four regular-season games. Although trying his best to feature in the playoffs, Stewart has been unable to rack up a single minute since Game 1. Now, with his team facing elimination, it's highly unlikely the center will make an appearance for the Pistons again this season.
Apart from Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons will be without star guard Jaden Ivey, who is listed on the injury list with a fracture to his left Fibula.
Detroit Pistons on the verge of elimination as 'blatant' foul claim headlines in Game 4 ending
After making it to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, the Detroit Pistons had a dream start to the series against the New York Knicks. Winning their first playoff game since 2008 in Game 2, the Pistons seemed to be in cruise control as they returned home with the series at 1-1. However, what followed has been disappointing, to say the least.
Losing Game 3 at Little Caesars Arena by a single basket, the Pistons felt hard done by in Game 4 as they were defeated by a single point. The defeat, however, was marred in controversy as Josh Hart's questionable block at the buzzer was deemed valid by the officials. This earned a reaction from Tim Hardaway Jr., who claimed Hart's block was "blatant":
"You guys saw it. Blatant," he responded to reporters when asked about Hart's block attempt.
The Pistons will now travel to MSG with a huge mountain to climb as they hope to make it to the second round for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
