Jonas Valanciunas gets a flagrant foul after an MMA move against the Pistons
It became physically early as The Denver Nuggets hosted the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday, with both teams trying to establish the tempo of the game.
In the first quarter, Isaiah Stewart attacked the paint, but Jonas Valanciunas was there to stop him. As Stewart tried to go up for a lay-in, Valanciunas fouled him and put him in a headlock, earning a flagrant foul for excessive contact.
Jonas Valanciunas received flagrant foul 1 for excessive and unnecessary contact with Isaiah Stewart 🔵🔴 #detroitbasketball pic.twitter.com/rKKSfm2kV6o
— Downtown Deuce (@DowntownDeuce) February 4, 2026
Stuart, who had been grumpy in the past, he didn’t reciprocate.
“Jonas Valanciunas put Isaiah Stewart on the block after the foul, and some yelling ensued. Stewart, believe it or not, left as Jaylen Duren stepped in,” ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill noted.
Valanciunas and Duren received a technical foul for a verbal altercation.
As of this writing, the Pistons are comfortably ahead of the Nuggets, 69-50, at halftime.
Valanciunas has three points, five rebounds and two blocks, while Stewart has nine points and three rebounds. Both came off the bench.
The Nuggets are looking to bounce back from Sunday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pistons, on the other hand, are aiming for their third straight win.
The Nuggets are also trying to get back at the Pistons after falling short in their last meeting, with Jamal Murray cost them the game at the free throw line.
The 33-year-old Valanciunas recently returned from a calf strain that forced him to miss three weeks.
Denver is slowly getting its full roster back, with Nikola Jokic and Christian Brown also returning from knee and ankle injuries.
2026-02-04 01:24:00
