Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart Arrested After Punching Drew Eubanks in Fight, Police Say

Things got rowdy at the Pistons-Suns game on Wednesday night well before tipoff.

Isaiah Stewart, the 22-year-old Detroit Pistons star, allegedly threw the first punch before he even made it onto the court at Footprint Stadium, where the Pistons took on the Phoenix Suns later that night. An argument broke out between Stewart and the Suns’ center Drew Eubanks and escalated into physical assault when Stewart punched Eubanks in the face, causing a “minor injury,” according to police.

The fight ended with the players separated by security and escorted away. Stewart was promptly arrested, issued a citation, and then released, police said, while their investigation into the fight “remains active.” They did not say what caused the fight or its escalation to blows.

Eubanks went on to play in the match, leading the Suns to a 116-100 victory over the Pistons. Stewart watched from the sidelines, already benched due to injury.

Stewart is no stranger to courtside altercations. In 2021, Stewart caught LeBron James’ fists during a Lakers-Pistons game and had to be physically restrained by teammates when he tried to charge James. Stewart received a two-game suspension and James received the first one-game suspension of his decades-long career.

In a statement, the Phoenix Suns called the attack on Eubanks “unprovoked” and “unacceptable,” voicing support for their player and their continued cooperation with the police. The Pistons said they were “aware of the incident” and were also working with authorities. “We are in the process of gathering information about what happened and what provoked it,” the Pistons said.

Kevin Durant, Eubanks’ Suns teammate, weighed in on the fight during a press conference after the game, taking an understanding tone. “There’s a lot of shit that comes with being an NBA player,” he told reporters. “It’s unfortunate what happened before the game, it’s supposed to be a brotherhood.”

“But I also understand, dudes get into stuff. We try to avoid that in this league, hopefully we can move on from it,” Durant said.

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