The Detroit Pistons will be looking to even up the opening-round series against the New York Knicks tonight. But they will be doing so without Isaiah Stewart, who has been ruled out for the Game 2 matchup due to the knee injury he is battling.
Stewart was laboring during most of the opening game, with it tough to pinpoint exactly where the issue first popped up. The injury is severe enough that it required postgame imaging, and he has now been ruled out for Game 2. It has not been referred to as anything outside of right knee inflammation or knee soreness by the team, so it is difficult to gauge the full severity.
This is a big blow for this Pistons team, with Stewart’s rim protection and rebounding ability proving to be a big part of this team. He is a tone-setter for Detroit, and the Pistons have leaned on their ability to dominate the boards and play physical as a huge part of their success all season. While his two points and five rebounds may not seem like much in the box score from the opening game, this will force a pretty seismic change in Detroit’s rotation.
There will also be additional pressure put on Jalen Duren to produce as the starting center. Duren has had a nice year, averaging 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds, but his 4.4 fouls per 36 minutes are a concern. The 21-year-old has some struggles with his fouls, and it would be a huge issue for this Pistons team if he falls into foul trouble.
While Tom Thibodeau has not leaned on this lineup much, playing Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson on the floor together has been a lineup continually called for by Knicks fans. Not having Stewart as an option to keep up with this interior impact could prove to be a problem tonight, and it will be interesting to see how Thibodeau changes the team’s approach. Don’t be surprised if the Pistons embrace this being the reality and opt to go small by giving Ausar Thompson a chance at some minutes at center, which they have done in stretches this season.
The Knicks enter tonight’s game as 6.5-point favorites and -258 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pistons hold +210 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 220.5. New York has moved to -650 favorites to win the series, while the Pistons hold +450 odds of advancing following the result of Game 1.
This is a tough blow to a youthful Pistons team that already had some concerns with this matchup even at full strength. They have not rolled over against anyone this season and will do their best to even up the series without their enforcer tonight.
