The Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets were involved in a fight a few days ago that included several players from each team. There was a good chance that some punishments would be handed down, and the league recently gave out suspensions to the players, according to a statement.
“Detroit Pistons forward-center Isaiah Stewart has been suspended seven games for leaving the bench area, aggressively entering an on-court altercation, and fighting, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” the statement read. “The length of Stewart's suspension is based in part on his repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.
“Additionally, Charlotte Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté have each been suspended four games for fighting and escalating the altercation, and Pistons center Jalen Duren has been suspended two games for initiating the altercation and fighting.”
It all started with Duren and Diabate, as a foul caused the two to get heated. Diabate headbutted Duren, and Duren mushed Diabate in the face. Tempers really started to flare then, and players had to be held back. That's when Miles Bridges came up and sneak attacked Duren, and Isaiah Stewart came from the Pistons' bench and started going at Bridges.
All four players were ejected from the game. Following the game, Duren shared his thoughts about the fight.
“As the year's been going on, teams like to try to get in our head,” Duren said. “This ain't the first time people have tried to be, you know, extra aggressive with us, talk to us, whatever the case may be. I think as a group, we've done an OK job handling that energy and intensity, but at the end of the day, emotions got high, everybody being competitive — we're all men, so things happen.”
Bridges went on social media and took a dig at Stewart.
“They enforcer was grabbing hair he wasn’t trynna box fr,” Bridges said on an Instagram post.
