Before the Detroit Pistons tip off with the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Saturday, March 28, the visiting team announced a major development regarding their injury report.
According to the Pistons, the veteran center Isaiah Stewart has reached another milestone in his calf strain recovery.
via Omari Sankofa, Detroit Free Press: Isaiah Stewart has been cleared to resume on-court basketball activities as part of his return to play process, the Pistons announce. He will miss his eighth-straight game in Minneapolis today with a left calf strain.
As mentioned above, Stewart hasn’t quite cleared the key hurdle of getting cleared to get back on the court. He will be out for the March 28 matchup against the Timberwolves.
However, his status beyond that will depend on how his calf responds during the next phase of his recovery.
The last time the Pistons had Stewart on the court was during their March 13 game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
At the time, Stewart checked in for 20 minutes off the bench. He shot 5-10 from the field, scoring 10 points. Along with his scoring, Stewart came down with four rebounds, produced one block, and one assist.
Stewart’s recent string of absences came roughly one month after the backup center had to serve a league-issued suspension. Since February 11, Stewart has missed 14 games, going on 15 on Saturday.
Getting to the playoffs healthy is key for Stewart and the Pistons at this point. Last year, Stewart was in a tough spot during the postseason. He suffered a setback after playing 19 minutes in Game 1 against the New York Knicks.
Stewart ended up missing the remainder of the six-game series. The Pistons were sure his defensive presence in the second unit would’ve been a game-changer. Therefore, they’ll do all they can to make sure he’s as healthy as possible before the inevitable postseason run coming up.
Pistons Announce Major Injury News Before Timberwolves Game