Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Phoenix Suns big man Drew Eubanks wasn’t much worse for the wear after Detroit Pistons player Isaiah Stewart punched him in the mouth.
View this post on Instagram
“From what I’m told — the footage will show — Drew Eubanks barely flinched,” said Charania. “He stood there stone cold.”
Eubanks and Stewart got into a physical altercation before the Suns faced off against the Pistons on Wednesday night. The incident took place in a parking lot at Footprint Center, which is Phoenix’s home stadium.
Stewart was subsequently arrested for assault and released from custody after receiving a citation.
The Suns released a statement condemning Stewart for punching Eubanks.
“The attack on Drew Eubanks was unprovoked, and acts of violence such as this are unacceptable,” a Suns spokesperson said. “We unequivocally support Drew, and will continue to work with local law enforcement and the NBA.”
The Pistons commented on the violent altercation as well.
“We are aware of the incident between Isaiah Stewart and Drew Eubanks prior to this evening’s game,” the Pistons said in a statement. “We are in the process of gathering information about what happened and what provoked it, and responding to the NBA and local authorities.”
Eubanks’ team in the Suns came out on top over the Pistons at home by a final score of 116-100. The 27-year-old even had himself a productive game in 18 minutes of playing time, considering he finished with six points, six rebounds, two steals and one block while shooting 3-of-8 from the field.
Stewart, on the other hand, didn’t log a single minute of playing time versus the Suns. He has been sidelined since late last month due to an ankle injury.
The Pistons big man has arguably had a better 2023-24 regular season than Eubanks has from a personal standpoint. While he has played in just 35 games so far this season, Stewart is averaging 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game on 47.0 percent shooting from the field and 37.4 percent from deep.
The 22-year-old has a history of getting into scuffles with players on opposing teams. Both Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Stewart were ejected from a regular-season game back in November of 2021 after the former hit the latter in the face. Stewart had to be restrained by both officials and teammates.
Fans should expect to find out in the near future if Stewart will receive punishment from the league for punching Eubanks. But considering Stewart’s history and the severity of the altercation, it’s seemingly a possibility that he could face a suspension.
