NBA suspends four players in Pistons-Hornets battle – how the Knicks benefit
Isaiah Stewart will have plenty of time to ponder whether he actually got his money’s worth during Monday A shocking brawl between the Pistons and the Hornets.
The Pistons center received the harshest punishment for the unruly noise, receiving a seven-game suspension while three others received multi-game suspensions. The league announced Wednesday.
The NBA said his punishment stemmed from leaving the bench area, “aggressively” getting into an altercation and fighting on the court.
Charlotte’s Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté have both received four-game suspensions for fighting and subservience, while Stewart’s teammate, Jalen Doeren, will sit out two games to start and participate.
These suspensions will leave the Pistons without two of their best players for next Thursday’s road game against the Knicks in action Preview potential Eastern Conference Finals.
“The length of Stewart’s suspension is based in part on his repeated history of unsportsmanlike conduct,” reads a league statement attributed to Executive Vice President/President of Basketball Operations James Jones.
The shocking scene was revealed in the third quarter on Monday night after a fatal mistake by Diabate on Durin, which led to the two facing off face-to-face before Durin put his hand in Diabate’s face.
It lit up the scene, with players from both teams arriving.
Bridges pushed Durin away at that point, while Diabaté swung at Durin but missed.
Despite the others’ attempts to corner him, Diabaté escaped and headed towards Doreen
Bridges escalated the situation by re-approaching Duren and punching him, when Stewart came running off the bench in search of Bridges.
He made his way through the corpses to grapple with the bridges.
All four players received technical fouls and were ejected.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended his team’s actions.
“Our guys are dealing with a lot, but they’re not the ones who started. They’re not the ones who crossed the line tonight,” Bickerstaff said. “It was clear, through the frustration, with what J.D. was doing, that they crossed the line. I hate that it got as ugly as it got. This is not something you ever want to see, but if someone throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself.”
Stewart’s checkered history includes numerous suspensions, including last April when he was suspended for two games for fighting during a game against the Timberwolves.
He is scheduled to miss a tough stretch that includes Wednesday’s road game against the Raptors followed by road games against the Knicks and Bulls, home games against the Spurs, Thunder and Cavaliers and then a home game against the Magic.
Detroit (39-13) leads the Celtics by 5 and a half games to have the best record in the Eastern Conference, while the Hornets (25-29) lead the Bulls by one game for last place in the championship game.
Their upcoming slate includes Wednesday’s home game against the Hawks, followed by two home matchups with the Rockets and Cavaliers before visiting the Wizards.
