Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been suspended without pay for one game after leaving Detroit Pistons centre Isaiah Stewart bleeding in a clash which sparked a furious on-court altercation.
He will sit out the Lakers’ encounter with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday as a result.
READ ALSO: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Outstanding Blues Thrash Juve 4-0 To Reach Knockout Stage
Stewart has been banned for two games without pay for his part in the incident, in which he repeatedly charged at James during the Pistons’ 121-116 defeat at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.
An NBA statement read: “Detroit Pistons centre Isaiah Stewart has been suspended two games without pay for escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James in an unsportsmanlike manner, and James has been suspended one game without pay for recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.
“Stewart was assessed two technical fouls, James was assessed a Flagrant Foul Penalty 2, and both players were ejected.”
Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook was also given a technical foul in the incident, although he didn’t realize it until after the game.
‘I got a tech?’ Westbrook asked during his post-game press conference. ‘Why did I get a tech? I didn’t know I got a tech… That’s interesting.‘
In a post-game press conference, Lakers star Anthony Davis insisted that James had not intended to strike Stewart.
‘Stewart tried to defend LeBron, ‘Bron did the same thing. Everyone in the league knows ‘Bron not a dirty guy, he didn’t mean to hit him. As soon as he did, he looked back at him, told him ‘Oh, my bad, I didn’t try to do it,” said Davis.
Davis slammed Stewart for his on-court antics following the blow to the face.
‘I’ve never, in 10 years, see a player try to do that, what he tried to do,’ he said.
‘It’s uncalled for, you got a cut above your eye, accidental, it wasn’t like it was on purpose,’ added Davis.
Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said after the game that he had spoken to Stewart: ‘He was upset for a reason. I don’t think James is a dirty player, but again it got them going.’
©ControlTV2021.
