All-Star questions raised after NBA suspends 4 players for heated brawl
A brawl broke out in the Detroit Pistons’ 110-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, with 4 players being ejected.
The NBA has issued suspensions to four players following a highly-charged brawl that broke out during Monday night’s game between the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets.
The league’s decision comes after a brawl that overshadowed (or added sparkles to, however you wish to view it) Detroit’s 110-104 victory and raised questions about the upcoming All-Star game.
The sequence of events unfolded midway through the third quarter when Diabaté fouled Duren. Tempers shot from 0 to 100 in the time it takes a blind man to find Trump’s name in the Epstein files, with Duren reacting angrily and a broader scuffle breaking out soon after.
Bridges and Stewart both jumped in, resulting in punches being thrown and the benches clearing briefly before officials used the Power of the Whistle to regain control. All four players were ejected on the night of the game.
“Emotions were flaring... everybody was playing hard”
At the centre of the discipline handed down is Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, who received the longest ban, seven games, for leaving the bench area and joining the fun. The league emphasised that Stewart’s punishment was influenced not just by his involvement in this incident but also by his history of being a naughty boy in previous seasons.
Pistons centre Jalen Duren was also suspended, though he was issued with just a two-game ban. According to the NBA’s statement, Duren’s suspension stems from his role in initiating the confrontation with Charlotte’s Moussa Diabaté, which escalated into the broader conflict. Duren later said the game was “overly competitive,” adding that “emotions were flaring. At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard.”
Reports say Duren, an Eastern Conference reserve, will still be able to participate in the NBA All-Star Game.
On the Hornets’ side, both Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté were hit with four-game suspensions each. Their penalties reflect the league’s assessment that they both played significant roles in escalating the incident after Duren and Diabaté’s initial clash. The classic ‘he started it but you carried it on’.
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ESPN says that the suspensions will cost Stewart $724,138, Bridges $689,655, Duren $89,423 and Diabate $62,641.
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