Jan 16, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) and Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) react in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
On Thursday night, the Detroit Pistons took the floor in hopes of extending their winning streak to three games. Next up on the schedule was a meeting with Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.
The last time these teams squared off was back on November 29th in Indiana. Detroit was able to handily take care of business, walking out with a 130-106 victory. However, that would not end up being the case at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night. Led by a strong performance from their frontcourt, the Pacers were able to seek revenge on the Pistons, winning by a final score of 111-100.
Emotions were running high all night, with players on both sides getting into the war of words. A bit of a rivalry seems to be forming between these as they continue to trade blows in the regular season.
Following the loss, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart was asked about facing off against the Pacers in the future. He is already locked in on the next meeting, eager for his team to take care of business against one of their conference rivals.
"We can't wait to see that team again," Stewart told reporters postgame. "We look forward to playing them again and handling business next time. That's that."
Stewart and the Pistons don't have to wait long to see the Pacers again, as they're slated to travel back to Indiana on January 29th. This will be an important matchup, as they'll have an opportunity to even the season series.
Evening things up with the Pacers is important for the Pistons, as they are one of the teams they are chasing in the standings. Indiana currently holds on the highly-coveted sixth seed, but the Detroit is only a game-and-a-half behind them in ninth place.
Stewart wasn't much of a force offensively in this matchup, but impacted the game in other ways. In 20 minutes off the bench, the veteran big man finished with two points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and one block.