Detroit Pistons rookie Isaiah Stewart on Friday finished with his fifth double-double of the season, and made a bit of team history in the process during a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Stewart recorded 15 points, 21 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in the 110-104 victory. His 21 rebounds were the most by a Pistons rookie since Leon Douglas had 22 on March 30, 1977. He is one of six Pistons rookies to ever haul in 20 rebounds in a game.
With his sensational night on the glass, Stewart now has the most rebounds in a game by a rookie, topping the 14 by Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams.
“Isaiah played super in all of the little things: His spacing, his screening,” Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said. “I’m really proud of the way he played and competed. He is going against two guys in there. Every team he is going against now is committing two people to sandwich him on the board and he is doing a heck of a job of fighting through that and it’s not easy.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rL0Y7RCgwc
Stewart recently earned praise from teammate Killian Hayes for the energy and effort he brings on a nightly basis. That was once again on display on Friday with Stewart often doing the dirty work down low to help his team win.
While Stewart had himself a game, he treated it as just another night at the office.
“I just want to continue to work, build off of it,” Stewart said. “I feel like that’s the most important thing just to build off it. As always, I’ll watch film and try to look at my mistakes and learn from them. I’m proud of how my teammates fought tonight.”
The performance by Stewart was yet another strong effort by one of the Pistons’ rookie players. The team has received strong contributions from the group throughout the season as they project to have a bright future ahead.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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