LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart has been suspended over Sunday’s incident.
Los Angeles Laker player LeBron James and Piston big man Isaiah Stewart has been suspended over clash during Sunday’s game.
Sportscliffs earlier reporter that LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart were ejected from the Lakers vs Piston games after James hit Stewart.
It was reported that blood ran down Stewart’s face as he stood to challenge James before he was stopped.
He clearly caught Stewart with an elbow as they battled for position at a free-throw, but Stewart then escalated things and went after the perennial All-Star, drawing multiple technical fouls and also being ejected from the game.
James will miss Tuesday night’s game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden for “recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation”, in a decision announced by President of League Operations Byron Spruell.
Stewart’s two-game suspension means he will miss a home date with the Miami Heat on Tuesday and Thursday’s road game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 2020 draft pick was found guilty of “escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James in an unsportsmanlike manner”.
Pistons head coach Dwayne Casey had said after the game that he didn’t believe Stewart deserved to be punished any further than his ejection after being provoked.
Casey said: “He’s a great kid but he felt like he got cheap-shotted across his brow and on the street, it would be a different story.
“I don’t think he should be facing anything from the league. He didn’t get off the floor in time, and the league will have to decide about that, and I thought that was why he was ejected from the game. ”
