Isaiah Stewart has been ruled out for Game 5 against the New York Knicks due to ongoing knee inflammation, marking a significant blow for the Detroit Pistons as they face elimination. Stewart, known as the team’s defensive anchor, has been sidelined for the last four playoff games and initially attempted to play through the injury in Game 1 but was unable to continue effectively.

The Pistons will rely on Paul Reed as the backup center, a player who averaged 4.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 45 games this season. Reed's performance will be critical as the team seeks to stave off elimination after a narrow loss in Game 4, which was marred by a controversial missed call on a potential game-winning shot by Tim Hardaway Jr.