Tuomas Iisalo Gives Uncertain Isaiah Stewart Injury Update After Pacers Loss

The Memphis Grizzlies had no new information on Isaiah Stewart’s right knee after Wednesday night’s 107-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers at FedExForum.

Stewart left in the first half and did not return. Memphis had listed him as doubtful to return with a right knee injury.

“No, there’s no further info,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said.

All 9:43 that Stewart played came before halftime. He scored 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting, every basket in the paint, and finished with 1 rebound and 2 fouls.

He was seen limping in the second quarter and tried to play through it, The Commercial Appeal reported.

Quinten Post had missed Memphis’ previous two games with an ankle injury and came in listed as questionable. He played 11 minutes. Taylor Hendricks did not play.

With Post out for those two games, Stewart had been the only backup center behind Zach Edey. Edey finished Wednesday with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Iisalo first sent Stewart in for Edey with 6:56 left in the first quarter, out of a timeout with Memphis up 12-9.

Both of his first-quarter baskets came off Cam Spencer passes. The first was a layup that got Memphis within 15-14. The second came on a drive in the final two minutes and made it 25-24, still Indiana.

In between, Stewart blew a layup in transition and then fouled Obi Toppin, who hit both free throws. Iisalo took him out with 1:27 left in the quarter.

It was 37-37 when he came back in the second quarter. A Jerami Grant pass got him a layup and a 42-39 Memphis lead, and on Indiana’s next trip he cleaned up a Quenton Jackson miss.

That was his last basket. Stewart was called for a loose-ball foul, his second, with 3:36 left in the half. Fifty-one seconds later, Post came in for him with Memphis up 48-44, and that was the end of Stewart’s night.

Indiana outscored Memphis by 6 during his first-quarter minutes. In the second, the Grizzlies were 4 points better with him on the floor.

Post’s first shot after replacing Stewart was a 25-foot 3 that missed at 2:03 of the second quarter.

In the third, Olivier-Maxence Prosper got the first backup minutes when Edey sat at 7:03. Post came in for Cameron Boozer at 5:30 and was called for an offensive foul three seconds later. He tied it 72-72 on a layup from Grant at 3:51, then picked off an Andrew Nembhard pass at 1:30 that set up Grant’s 3 for an 82-76 lead.

Iisalo called Prosper the type of player who is always ready.

“Mostly energy,” Iisalo explained. “Mostly energy and defensive intensity. We never want to be the team that’s out-competed. And we’ve had now in a couple of games those stretches in the middle of first and beginning of second and beginning of fourth where we don’t quite have it, and we thought O-Max is an excellent example of that type of player who’s always ready and always ready to bring energy.”

“And I thought he sparked us a little bit there,” Iisalo continued. “He had that fast break dunk that got the crowd into it and overall always plays with extremely high effort. So he really, I thought that served his purpose.”

Post got 1:36 in the fourth. He replaced Edey at 6:52 and went back to the bench after a shooting foul at 5:16.

Detroit sent Stewart to Memphis in late June. The Grizzlies gave up three future second-round picks, and ESPN’s Shams Charania had the deal first.

A sprained left ankle in the preseason had him listed doubtful for the season opener against the Utah Jazz, which Memphis won 123-103. He played in six of the first seven games and came into Wednesday averaging 12.8 points, The Commercial Appeal reported.

Oct. 29 at Portland was his best night so far: 18 points in a 124-103 win.

The knee is not new trouble. Two seasons ago with Detroit, right knee inflammation kept him out from Game 2 on in a first-round series against the New York Knicks.

Indiana’s win, sealed by Aaron Nesmith’s corner 3 with 14.6 seconds left, snapped a five-game skid. Memphis was also without Scotty Pippen Jr., who has a lumbar disc herniation.

Friday brings the Oklahoma City Thunder to FedExForum for a 7 p.m. CT tip-off. Memphis is 6-2.