*Update: The Detroit Pistons have ruled out Isaiah Stewart for Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Detroit Pistons’ backcourt could end up taking a big hit on Saturday night.
On the injury report, the team downgraded Isaiah Stewart to questionable. The big man is dealing with an illness, suddenly putting his availability for the Los Angeles Clippers matchup in jeopardy.
When the Pistons held their Saturday morning shootaround session, Stewart was reportedly not present. That’s typically a sign that a player just might end up missing the matchup.
Absences have been rare for Stewart this season. He missed just three games back in November. When he returned to the court on November 14 to face the Philadelphia 76ers, he ended up playing in every game since.
Lately, Stewart has been a full-time starter for the Pistons. After seeing the starting center, Jalen Duren, go down with an ankle injury, Stewart had to step up and move into the starting five.
His defense remained dominant, but recently, Stewart saw a scoring burst on the offensive end of the floor. In 30 minutes against the Chicago Bulls the last time out, Stewart went 14-17 from the field, knocking down two of his three shots from beyond the arc. He finished the game with 31 points.
Since becoming a starter for the past four games, Stewart has averaged 13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks.
The Pistons are 3-1 over that stretch.
This year, the Pistons have been the top team in the Eastern Conference throughout the majority of the season. They enter Saturday’s game with a 28-9 record, leading four games over the Boston Celtics.
Detroit will look to build on their three-game winning streak on Saturday, but they might have to do it even more shorthanded. In addition to Stewart, the Pistons have Cade Cunningham listed as questionable. Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris are already out.
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