The NBA announced punishments stemming from the brawl during the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets game on Monday night, when four players were ejected from the game.
The punishments are as follows:
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Stewart received a harsher punishment because he left the bench to get involved and because of his history of infractions.
Multiple skirmishes happened during Monday’s game. The first involved Diabate and Duren, when the former fouled Duren. The two exchanged words before Duren shoved Diabate in his face. Diabate then charged at Duren, and things escalated from there before the scuffle was broken up.
Then, Bridges charged at Duren and threw a punch, and Stewart left the bench to join the scuffle. After referee review, the four players, plus Hornets coach Charles Lee, were ejected from the game.
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Detroit currently holds the top spot in the Eastern Conference at 39-13 and has the second-best record in the NBA. Duren has become a key part of what’s been built in Detroit as the team’s starting center. He’s averaging 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and has been a consistent double-double performer. Duren will reportedly still be permitted to play in this weekend’s All-Star Game.
As the backup center, Stewart is the player who does the dirty work in Detroit. That includes getting into scuffles and even full-blown fights, which is why he’ll miss the next seven games. While Stewart isn’t one of the team’s stars, his role is important, and the Pistons will miss his contributions of 10 points and five rebounds per game while he’s out.
For Charlotte, these suspensions come as the Hornets battle for the final play-in spot in the East. At 25-29, with a one-game lead over 11th-place Chicago, Charlotte cannot afford to miss any key contributors right now, especially Bridges, who averages 18.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Diabate is the team’s leading rebounder, grabbing 8.6 per game.
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Each player was also fined by the NBA alongside the suspensions.
Fine amounts: