SUMMARY
- The Suns defeated the Pistons 116-100 recently, but the game wasn't the highlight of the night.
- Isaiah Stewart allegedly punched Drew Eubanks in the tunnel, before the game.
The Phoenix Suns faced the Detroit Pistons recently at the Footprint Center. The Suns won the game 116-100, thanks to a 25-point game from Kevin Durant. Devin Booker was ejected early on in the first quarter, after playing just 5 minutes. Bradley Beal, the other player from the big three, is currently out with a hamstring injury. KD’s scoring prowess was not the highlight of the night, but the incident that took place before the game.
Isaiah Stewart punched Drew Eubanks pregame in the back tunnels ahead of Pistons-Suns game in Phoenix, per @ShamsCharania
Stewart and Eubanks were ‘going chest-to-chest’ before a swing connected to Eubanks’ face. Both were separated as police are now involved in the situation. pic.twitter.com/05TIrR5Bq6
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 15, 2024
For some context, Isaiah Stewart allegedly sucker-punched Drew Eubanks before the game, in the tunnel. News outlets claim that the pair went chest-to-chest in the tunnel pre-game, which was when the Pistons star took a swing. As it stands, there has been no video released of the incident. Despite this, Stewart was reportedly arrested just a few minutes ago, for assaulting the Suns star.
BREAKING NEWS from @azfamily Phoenix Police arrested Isaiah Stewart for assaulting Drew Eubanks. Stewart was issued a citation and released. The investigation remains active.
— Mark McClune (@MarkMcClune) February 15, 2024
This comes after the Suns released a statement mentioning that they will work with local law enforcement to investigate the matter.
Drew Eubanks’ shrugged off Isaiah Thomas’ punch and played 18 minutes vs Pistons
The physical altercation between the pair placed some major doubt over Eubanks’ availability for the game. However, he shrugged it off like it was nothing, and proceeded to play 18 minutes for the Suns on the night. Eubanks also made 6 points and 6 rebounds on the night.
Eubanks is good to go for tonight. He’s playing.
“Soft punch.”
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) February 15, 2024
After being punched, Eubanks added fuel to the fire, and claimed that it was a “Soft punch.” It certainly looks like there was some back-and-forth argument between the two players, but it remains unknown what was said that made Stewart throw a punch.
Suns get the win despite ugly physical altercation
KD was the star of the night, getting some points on the board, which was enough for the Arizona-based team. Saben Lee also had a decent game, scoring 16 points and making 6 rebounds.
Ausar Thompson and Simone Fontecchio were the standout players for the Pistons, scoring 14 and 18 points respectively. Cade Cunningham had an off night in the scoring department, making just 13 points in 26 minutes.
