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Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart reportedly punched Phoenix Suns big man Drew Eubanks in the tunnels behind the scenes at the Footprint Center in Arizona before their matchup on Wednesday.
The Athletic's Shams Charania broke the news that both Isaiah Stewart and Eubanks were involved in a confrontation, going chest-to-chest, before Stewart swung at Eubanks, connecting around his lip area.
Police intervened to separate the two and have examined the scene, according to Charania. The NBA is expected to receive footage of the incident for review.
Eubanks told reporters that he got sucker punched.
“Words were said, I got sucker punched, and security intervened,” he said (per Gerald Bourguet).
Eubanks also mentioned that the incident occurred when he had just arrived at the arena and was still in street clothes. He said he never had any issues with Stewart outside the basketball court prior to the incident.
“Clearly you can see what he does, how he acts on the court, so it wasn’t surprising.”
According to Suns writer Gerald Bourguet, Eubanks, who is averaging 5.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game for Phoenix this season, will play tonight.
Stewart, who is averaging 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 30.6 minutes per game this season, has been involved in on-court altercations before, but this incident with Eubanks, occurring behind the scenes, is a new development.
Looking at Isaiah Stewart’s history of altercations with other NBA players
Isaiah Stewart is known for his physicality on the court and scuffles with NBA stars LeBron James and Draymond Green.
The first high-profile incident involving him took place in November 2021 in a game between the Pistons and the LA Lakers. During the third quarter, a physical contest for a rebound resulted in James elbowing Stewart in the face.
Stewart reacted by trying to confront James and even chasing after him, leading to both players being ejected. Stewart was suspended for two games, while James received a one-game suspension.
The two also had an altercation this season.
Last year, Stewart had a scuffle with Green.
During a game between the Pistons and the Warriors, Stewart and Green got into a heated battle for position under the basket in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. This led to a physical altercation, with both players receiving technical fouls. Green was ejected after receiving his second technical foul.
Stewart is likely facing a suspension, considering his track record of physical altercations with other players.
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