Editor’s note: The Pistons lost to the Lakers, 121-116, despite Jerami Grant’s 36 points and Cade Cunningham’s first career triple-double.
The Detroit Pistons-Los Angeles Lakers rivalry may be back in full effect after Sunday’s wild scene in the second of their game at Little Caesars Arena.
It started when, during a box out on a Jerami Grant free-throw attempt with 9:18 left in the third quarter, LeBron James swiped his right arm against Isaiah Stewart, catching the Detroit Pistons center flush over the right eye.
The two players stood face-to-face and seemed to calmly talk, drawing one technical foul each. But as teammates, coaches and the officials stepped in between, Stewart’s anger grew and he wanted a piece of James. And seemed like he wasn’t going to stop until he got to the NBA megastar.
After initially being separated as the crowd moved to halfcourt, Stewart, 6 foot 8 and 250 pounds, could not be contained by assistant coaches. Stewart ripped away from those retraining him, ran over another Pistons assistant and tried to get at James as Lakers and Pistons tried to keep them separated.
Stewart grew more irate as the blood streamed down the right side of this face and his jersey. He finally was being walked toward the Pistons’ entrance ramp behind their bench, but before he got off the floor, he again tore away and raced to get at James on the opposite end of the floor.
After Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham and several other Pistons officials were able to restrain Stewart, he was finally taken off the floor.
Stewart, in his second year out of Washington, was ejected.
After officials reviewed the play, James, too, was ejected for a Flagrant-2 foul.
The wild scene occurred just a couple of days after the 17-year anniversary of the infamous Malice at The Palace between the Indiana Pacers and the Pistons.
Free Press special writer Dana Gauruder contributed to this report. Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.