moussa diabate

Four players have been suspended by the NBA in connection with a brawl that broke out during the Detroit Pistons-Charlotte Hornets game Monday night, the league announced Wednesday.

It was the same four players that were ejected during the Pistons’ 110-104 victory at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Detroit center Isaiah Stewart was suspended seven games for leaving the bench area, aggressively entering an on-court altercation and fighting. This is Stewart’s fifth suspension in his six-year NBA career. One resulted from an altercation with the Lakers’ LeBron James in 2021 and another from an altercation that spilled into the stands during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves last year.

“The length of Stewart’s suspension is based in part on his repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts,” the NBA said in a statement.

Charlotte forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté were each suspended four games for fighting and escalating the altercation. Detroit center Jalen Duren received a two-game suspension for initiating the altercation and fighting.

The incident took place midway through the third quarter after Duren was fouled by Diabaté while driving toward the basket. Duren approached Diabaté and the two men appeared to bump into each other. Duren then appeared to hit Diabaté in the face with an open hand to ignite a brawl that lasted more than 30 seconds.

Bridges and Duren exchanged punches at one point, and Stewart left the bench and fought with Bridges.

The suspensions begin Wednesday, when the Pistons play the Raptors in Toronto and the Hornets host the Atlanta Hawks.

Soon after the punishments were announced, Diabaté posted an apology to “the Hornets coaches, staff, front office, teammates, and best fans in the NBA” on his Instagram Story.

“As a player, I pride myself on my passion and my commitment to giving everything on the court during every possession,” he wrote. “However, in the heat of a highly competitive and physical matchup, I allowed my emotions to get the better of me, and for that, I am truly sorry.

“I understand the responsibility I carry as a professional athlete and as a role model. I view this as a learning experience and am fully committed to growing from it both as a player and a person. … Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A fight between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets in the third quarter of Monday night’s game, resulted in four player ejections.

Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges were tossed, along with Detroit’s Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Hornets coach Charles Lee was ejected in the fourth quarter after he had to be restrained from going after an official while arguing a call.

The Pistons won the game 110-104.

Duren had the ball and was driving toward the basket with just over seven minutes left in the third period when he was fouled by Diabate. Duren turned around to get face-to-face with Diabate and the two appeared to butt heads. Duren then hit Diabate in the face with his open right hand, starting a confrontation that lasted more than 30 seconds and ultimately ended with a brief police presence on the floor.

While Pistons forward Tobias Harris was holding Diabate back, Diabate threw a punch at Duren. Duren walked away and Bridges charged at him, throwing a left-handed punch. Duren retaliated with a punch. Diabate attempted to charge again at Duren and had to be held back.

Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled. At one point, Stewart got Bridges in a headlock and delivered mutiple left-handed blows to his head.

Duren called it an “overly competitive game.”

“Emotions were flaring,” Duren said. “At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard.”

Duren said that opposing NBA teams have been trying to “get in our head” all season.

“This isn’t the first time that people have tried to be like extra aggressive with us and talk to us, whatever the case may be,” Duren said. “But as a group we have done an OK job of handling that energy and intensity. At the end of the day, emotions got high with everybody being competitive. Things happen.”

Duren did not say how the fight started, referring reporters instead to the video replays.

The Hornets did not make Bridges and Diabate available for interviews after the game.

However, Bridges took to Instagram late Monday night to say: “Sorry Hornets nation! Sorry Hornets Organization! Always gonna protect my teammates forever.”

“It looked like two guys got into a heated conversation and it just kind of spiraled from there,” Lee said.

Crew chief John Goble said in a pool report after the game that the players were ejected because they “engaged in fighting activity during the dead ball. After review, we assessed fighting fouls and by rule they were ejected from the game.”

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended his players after the game.

“Our guys deal with a lot, but they’re not the ones that initiated, they’re not the ones who crossed the line tonight,” Bickerstaff said. “It was clear, through frustration, because of what J.D. (Duren) was doing, that they crossed the line. I hate that it got as ugly as it got.

“That’s not something that you ever want to see,” Bickerstaff added, “but if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself. That’s what happened tonight. If you go back and watch the film, they’re the ones who initiated crossing the line and our guy had to defend himself.”

Tensions continued to mount at the Spectrum Center after the fight.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Lee was ejected and had to be restrained by Hornets guard Brandon Miller while yelling at officials for a no-call after Charlotte’s Grant Williams collided with Detroit’s Paul Reed.

“Grant was walking down the paint and barely touched somebody and the guy fell over and that is what we are going to call a foul,” Lee said. “They have a hard job to make these calls, but I don’t think that was the consistency with which that had been called the rest of the game.”

As for being ejected, Lee said he has to have more control of emotions moving forward.

Reed writes for the Associated Press.