CHARLOTTE — Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended his team Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) after the NBA handed out four suspensions from a fight in the Pistons’ game against the Charlotte Hornets.
“The narrative that’s out there that we react to everything, every time, is a disappointing one, to be honest with you,” Bickerstaff said before the Pistons’ game in Toronto.
Detroit center Isaiah Stewart was suspended seven games by the league, while three other players were also penalized for their roles in the fight.
Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté were each suspended four games for fighting and escalating the altercation, while Pistons center Jalen Duren got two games for initiating the altercation and fighting, the league announced.
But the heaviest penalty went to Stewart, with the league saying it was based in part on his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” The league said he left the bench area, aggressively entered an on-court altercation, and fought.
Stewart has been suspended five times, including once for an altercation with LeBron James in 2021.
He was suspended twice last season, including last April in an altercation with the Minnesota Timberwolves that spilled over into the stands.
“You’re hearing all this stuff about what our guys are and it’s completely inaccurate,” Bickerstaff said.
“If they reacted to everything that happened to them, we would never have a basketball game. To highlight the rare moments and make that the story is disrespectful to our guys as basketball players.”
As for whether he thought the punishment was fair, Bickerstaff said, “I would have liked to see Stew’s number being less, obviously. But as a group, we kind of accepted it, what it is.”
The suspensions began Wednesday night for all four players.
Hornets coach Charles Lee, who was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter for arguing a call, said he understands the decision handed down by James Jones, the NBA’s executive vice president/head of basketball operations.
“We made a choice in that moment and our actions put us in a situation where we have to take the medicine as the league hands out — and do better next time,” Lee said.
Diabate, Bridges, Duren and Stewart were all ejected from the Pistons’ 110-104 win following a melee in the third quarter.