DETROIT — Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is out for a fifth straight game against the New York Knicks because of a nagging knee injury.
Stewart, who played in the series opener, was ruled out of Game 6 on Thursday night. Stewart participated in the team’s shootaround earlier in the day and coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the five-year veteran has been able to do more on the court each day.
New York did not list any of its banged-up players — Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby — on the injury report.
Detroit center Jalen Duren played 25 minutes in Game 1 when Stewart was available and has averaged 35 minutes a game without him in the first-round series.
Paul Reed was the team’s No. 3 center in the regular season, playing in 45 games and averaging fewer than 10 minutes. He has played a larger role without Stewart. Reed, 25, averaged three points and three-plus rebounds in an average of 11-plus minutes in Games 2 through 5.
The third-seeded Knicks won one game at home and two games at Little Caesars, giving them up to two chances to eliminate the sixth-seeded Pistons and advance to the second round to face second-seeded Boston.
