Lakers, Pistons pour cold water on LeBron James-Isaiah Stewart rematch

LOS ANGELES — A week ago, they astatine each other’s throats. But successful the moments earlier tip-off connected Sunday evening, LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart conspicuously avoided 1 different arsenic they settled successful for the game.

Stewart stood astatine halfway tribunal waiting to extremity against DeAndre Jordan. Minutes before, the Staples Center assemblage had booed him — which is what happens erstwhile you effort to pursuit down the franchise star. By the scorer’s table, James was tossing chalk into the air, his acquainted ritual, but past instantly went to the backcourt without greeting his opponents individually arsenic helium usually might.

Both James and Stewart — and the Lakers and Pistons by hold — were a small connected borderline aft their dust-up that near Stewart bloody and enraged, and both players suspended. Forgiveness doesn’t look to beryllium successful anybody’s future, particularly since Stewart said Friday that helium inactive didn’t judge James’ closed fist onslaught was accidental. But still, professionalism ruled the day.

“To me, it’s conscionable astir raised awareness,” manager Frank Vogel said. “We’re each pros successful this, and I don’t expect thing similar (retribution). But we’ll person a raised awareness.”

There was surely a raised consciousness successful the Staples Center crowd, who booed Stewart erstwhile helium took his archetypal 2 escaped throws of the crippled successful the archetypal 4th — and cheered erstwhile helium missed the first. On a second-quarter possession erstwhile James rotated into defender Stewart, the assemblage rumbled with curiosity, but Stewart rapidly passed retired preventing the one-on-one the radical wished to see.

The assemblage successful Detroit got plentifulness of Stewart vs. James past Sunday, erstwhile James deed Stewart and drew blood, starring Stewart to equine 3 charges astatine the Lakers’ superstar. The ensuing country concisely seized the spotlight successful the NBA, and led the league to contented James the first-ever suspension of his career. Stewart served 2 games earlier saying Friday that helium wished to determination guardant and not absorption connected the incident.

Detroit caput manager Dwane Casey said Stewart’s dust-up with James wasn’t connected his caput astatine each erstwhile reasoning backmost to that archetypal match-up. He was much upset that the Pistons mislaid aft starring by 17 points. His absorption into the rematch was tactical, helium said.

“We had the crippled nether control, nether wraps,” Casey said. “And we kinda mislaid that mojo a small spot going into the 4th quarter. … That’s what we gotta turn into, is finishing games.”

For his part, James seemed intent connected letting Stewart cognize that helium didn’t mean to deed him successful the face. After Stewart’s comments Friday, James again went done his determination and said portion helium did mean to chop down connected him, helium didn’t mean to onslaught him successful the face. But that’s apt the last connection connected the matter.

When asked if helium was anxious astatine each astir seeing Stewart again, James demurred.

“I don’t spell into that crippled with immoderate expectations too america trying to travel retired victorious and get backmost to .500,” helium said. “That is the astir important happening and that’s ever been my mindset.”