The Pistons needed a big performance from Isaiah Stewart tonight, and Beef Stew was more than qualified to deliver
All season long, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has preached that Detroit operates on a “next man up” mentality. On Wednesday night, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart was the next man against the Bulls, and he showed up in a big way with a career-high 31 points in Detroit’s 108-93 win over Chicago.
The Pistons had to tinker with their starting lineup since Cade Cunningham missed the game due to a wrist injury, and he was seen on the bench with a brace over his wrist. So, Detroit turned to Jaden Ivey as the team’s starting point guard, but Daniss Jenkins ended up taking on most of the squad’s playmaking responsibilities during the contest.
To that effect, Jenkins recorded a staggering 15 assists off the bench, which is the most from a Pistons’ reserve player in at least eight seasons. Jenkins did not look for his shot but instead focused on facilitating the Pistons offense, and his two-man game with Stewart was a frequent source of success for Detroit.
With a couple three-point connections to his credit, Stewart is efficient against the Bulls much in the same way that Jalen Duren usually would be, going 14-for-17 from the field in a tidy performance for Beef Stew. All game long, Stewart was working hard in the paint to attack the rim and was too much for the Bulls to handle in the low post.
“It’s very fun,” Stewart said after the game. “We had guys out, and it's the next man up and gives you a chance to help move us forward on offense. That’s what I was trying to do tonight.”
But with both Duren and Cunningham out of the lineup for Detroit, the Pistons had to find production from other areas. Duncan Robinson fulfilled his duty as a dangerous perimeter shooter with four conversions from long-range on the night, and the defensive tandem of Ron Holland and Javonte Green off the bench really helped Detroit climb back into the game during the second half.
After halftime, the Bulls had a strong start to the third quarter and were able to take the lead until Holland and Green entered the game to create some turnovers for Detroit. Both players combined for 11 points each off the bench and were part of the Pistons’ momentum shift in the second half that allowed for Detroit to take the lead for good in the fourth quarter.
With a 15-point win over the Bulls under their belt, the Pistons move to 2-1 on the season series against Chicago and 28-9 on the season overall. Detroit has an active three-game winning streak, and the Pistons will look to make that four when the team hosts the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Saturday, Jan. 10.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.