In a wild turn of events, Suns forward Drew Eubanks and Pistons center Isaiah Stewart got into a fist fight 90 minutes before the Phoenix-Detroit game at Footprint Center on Wednesday.
The incident reportedly happened in the back of the tunnels and The Athletic is reporting that it is unclear how the fight started.
“According to those sources, both Stewart and Eubanks were going chest-to-chest before a swing to Eubanks’ lip area connected,” Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III wrote. “Police needed to get involved to separate the two and have inspected the scene. The NBA is expected to receive footage to review.”
PHNX Sports writer Gerald Bourguet is reporting that “Eubanks said it happened when he had just gotten to the arena, while still in street clothes. Had never had anything with Stewart outside of “just basketball sh*t.”
Eubanks added, “Clearly you can see what he does, how he acts on the court, so it wasn’t surprising.”
Despite the injuries to his face, Eubanks said he will play in the matchup.
Stewart on the other hand was ruled out of the game due to an ankle injury.
He hasn’t played in any of the Suns’ previous seven games due to the injury, but was clearly keen to bring some energy into tonight’s matchup.
The Suns are 32-22 heading into the matchup, while the Pistons are 8-45.
Some NBA fans’ reactions to the altercation were pure comedy.
Isaiah Stewart to Drew Eubanks in the tunnel pic.twitter.com/LM8hWwfqfC
— Wh88f (@KWreeto) February 15, 2024
So that Thug Isaiah Stewart basically told Drew Eubanks “aye check it out” crunched him & drew ain’t do sht back SMH both our bigs SOFT pic.twitter.com/orO5gGlxfc
— 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✰ (@Hatedzs) February 15, 2024
When Isaiah Stewart hears Drew Eubanks say he punches soft. https://t.co/1iA8mCay2X pic.twitter.com/Ddu67R962W
— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) February 15, 2024
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