Detroit will be without one of the best rim protectors in basketball in game two against the Knicks as the Pistons try to even up their first-round playoff series.
Isaiah Stewart has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters that they would take things "day by day" with Stewart from this point on.
Stewart played 19 impactful minutes in the series opener as starting center Jalen Duren dealt with early foul trouble.
The physical Stewart held opponents to the lowest rim field goal percentage in the entire NBA this season
Duren is a strong rebounder but not quite the rim defender that Stewart is.
And behind Duren, it's possible that undersized forward Paul Reed could get minutes at the 5.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
This could be a big night loading for Karl-Anthony Towns.
It's really unfortunate timing for Detroit, which led the Knicks into the fourth quarter on Saturday before allowing a 21-0 run.
Without Stewart, the Pistons' margin for error gets even slimmer at Madison Square Garden.
Somehow, Detroit will have to slow KAT down and prevent those pesky Josh Hart offensive rebounds to have any chance at all of evening the series at a game apeice.
MORE NBA PLAYOFFS:
- Knicks' Cameron Payne has the best NBA 2K story you've ever heard
- Ty Jerome is best story in NBA for Cleveland Cavaliers
- NBA's Thompson brothers, Amen and Ausar, have incredible relation and similarities
- Explaining the story of Bam Adebayo's real name
- Grizzlies center Zach Edey more than just NBA's height king
- Scotty Pippen Jr.'s family connection to Bulls legend Scottie
- Explaining what Dillon Brooks did to his hair for the playoffs
- Donovan Mitchell ranks among best playoff scorers in NBA history