Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Phoenix Suns center Drew Eubanks reportedly had an altercation at the back of the Footprint Center tunnel prior to Wednesday's showdown.
Videos of the incident have yet to be revealed (or leaked) to the public, but Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the NBA will be receiving footage of the fight in order to review it. Furthermore, while the initial cause of the fight were unknown, Shams has since shared that the two were going chest-to-chest before Stewart swung his arms towards Eubank's face.
“Sources: Detroit Pistons F/C Isaiah Stewart punched Phoenix's Drew Eubanks in the back tunnels of Suns arena today. It's unclear what sparked the altercation. The NBA is expected to receive footage to review. More to come,” Shams wrote on X.
In his follow-up report, Shams said: “Both Stewart and Eubanks were going chest-to-chest before a swing to Eubanks' face connected on Wednesday, sources said. Both were separated and there is police presence involved with the situation in Phoenix tonight.”
It's certainly not a good development for the Pistons, who are looking to go into the All-Star break on a more positive note. The team has been struggling on the court, so the last thing they needed is another distraction that could further slow down their progress and affect them negatively.
Considering that it's Isaiah Stewart who swung his fist, he'll likely get a heavy punishment from the NBA. Of course the cause of the incident will be taken into consideration, but the NBA has always taken a strong stance against violence.
It's also not the first time Stewart has been involved in such a heated moment. As NBA fans can remember, Stewart previously charged at LeBron James after a foul and had to be stopped by multiple people.
Sure enough, NBA fans are awaiting for the video of the altercation to be leaked. If it ends up getting released, there should be more clarity about the situation. Nonetheless, the NBA surely wouldn't want the issue to get out of control and more people putting unnecessary pressure on them.
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