There’s no stopping Isaiah Stewart. Bench, eject, or foul him out, and he will be at it again. After receiving a flagrant two, the Detroit Pistons star was ejected just eight minutes into the game against the Indiana Pacers. Following his ejection, the 23-year-old forward appeared to mock the opponent’s bench from the sidelines.
During the first half of the game against the Pacers, officials ejected Stewart. This happened after he had a heated altercation with the Pacers’ big man, Thomas Bryant. The incident occurred with 8:45 left in the second quarter. Stewart delivered a hard shoulder shove that sent Bryant to the ground.
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The physicality of the match escalated, prompting officials to review the play for a flagrant foul. After the review, Stewart received a Flagrant-2 designation, marking his second technical foul of the night. Earlier in the game, officials issued technical fouls to both him and Pacers forward James Johnson. Stewart’s ejection came after a brief time on the floor, as he had played just under eight minutes and recorded one point and one assist.
As Stewart made his exit, he engaged with fans, pointing toward the opposite end of the court and popping his jersey as he walked off. Cameras caught Stewart making a ‘gun gesture’ or what is called an ‘air shoot’ toward the Pacers bench.
Isaiah Stewart Increasingly Involving In Foul Play
Prior to the Pacers game and all the drama on the court, Isaiah Stewart had it in a similar way earlier. The referee ejected the Pistons’ big man from a recent game against the Milwaukee Bucks after he committed a Flagrant 2 foul against Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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The incident occurred with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. Stewart grabbed Giannis’ jersey mid-dunk and spun him to the ground, leading to an awkward unbalance that ended in a hard fall. Initially, officials assessed it only as his second personal foul. They quickly reviewed the play and upgraded it to a flagrant two due to the unnecessary and excessive contact deemed dangerous for the airborne player.
After the game, Antetokounmpo commented on the play, expressing that while it was a dangerous move, he was unfazed by the hit. He acknowledged the referee’s decision and emphasized that teams should expect plays like these when facing tough, physical players.
Isaiah Stewart was ejected after this foul on Giannis #FearTheDeer | #Bucks pic.twitter.com/wue7mHstO0
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“He said some guys are manufactured killers. He’s a born killer. I just feel the same way. I’ve been in that position many times in my life…At the same time, it’s a dangerous play. That’s not a basketball play. I think the ref did a great job of making the right call. I couldn’t hear what it was, but I know that he got ejected,” Antetokounmpo said after the game.
Bucks’ forward Taurean Prince remarked that he felt the play was over-analyzed, particularly given Stewart’s reputation.
