We knew this Detroit Pistons vs. Indiana Pacers game was going to be testy.
These two teams have a historic rivalry that cooled in recent years, mostly because the Pistons weren’t competitive, but you could see this brewing for the last few seasons.
Jaden Ivey and Bennedict Mathurin have had words in the past and now that the Pistons aren’t a complete doormat, things have escalated each time the two teams have played.
We all remember the infamous Malice in the Palace, and we definitely don’t need anything like that to happen again, but it’s good to have one of the old school rivalries back in the NBA, mostly because it means the Pistons are competitive, a key component to having rivalries.
In the last meeting between the two teams, there was non-stop talking throughout the game, plenty of pushing and shoving and heated exchanges, including after the game was over and the two teams were still jawing at each other on the court.
That hostility carried over to this game, and it got out of hand for Isaiah Stewart early.
Isaiah Stewart ejected after only 8 minutes
I love Stewart and think he’s the heart of this team. He’s had a good season as a backup five and has evolved into one of the league’s better rim protectors.
But tonight wasn’t his finest night.
After being assessed a technical foul for getting into a verbal altercation with James Johnson, a player who was not even in the game, Stewart did this to Thomas Bryant:
Status alert: Isaiah Stewart has been ejected Wednesday after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul.pic.twitter.com/kgAUgXB0bF
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 30, 2025
He was given a flagrant 2 and kicked out of the game for what was deemed a windup and follow through on an unnecessary, non-basketball play.
I have no idea what was said or done to make Stew so mad, and I do understand, as I was getting heated watching all of the yapping going on, but this is a play you cannot make and one that has become too common for Stewart.
The Pistons only have two centers who play, and already have some challenging matchups against the Pacers, so losing their best bench defenders isn’t going to help their chances of pulling off the upset in Indiana.
The Pacers immediately went on a run when Stewart was ejected and the crowd got right back into it after the Pistons had cut into the lead and taken the momentum momentarily.
If we are being honest, that wouldn’t rank as one of the top-50 hardest fouls between these two teams and it’s doubtful it would have ended in an ejection “back in the day,” but we aren’t back in the day and the Pistons need Stewart on the floor, not raging in the locker room.
It’s good to have the rivalry back, but the Pistons have to keep their composure if they want to get back into this game.