The NBA has announced suspensions for 5 players on Tuesday as a result of the fracas in Sunday’s Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Detroit Pistons game.
Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart received a two-game ban, while teammates Marcus Sasser and Ron Holland II will each sit one game apiece. Minnesota’s Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid also were hit with one-game bans as well.
Reid and DiVincenzo will serve their suspensions on Tuesday vs. the Nuggets, while Stewart, Holland and Sasser will miss Wednesday’s game vs. OKC.
In a statement posted to the league website, Executive VP of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars wrote “The incident began when Holland II committed a defensive foul on Reid with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter of the Timberwolves’ 123-104 victory over the Pistons on March 30 at Target Center. Following that foul, Reid pointed at and confronted Holland Il. Holland Il then pushed DiVincenzo and in response, DiVincenzo escalated the incident by shoving Holland II in the chest. The two players along with Reid became entangled and fell into the spectator stands. Stewart and Sasser then entered the altercation near the spectator stands and shoved DiVincenzo and Reid, which resulted in a continued escalation of the situation.”
“For their roles, all five players were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game.”
When all was said and done, 12 technical fouls were issued, with multiple players and coaches heading back to the locker room with 8:36 left in the first half of the game. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Timberwolves assistant Pablo Prigioni were also ejected for their role in the ensuing on court melee as well. The Timberwolves would go on to win the contest 123-104.
“Obviously things went too far,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “But what you see is guys looking out for one another, guys trying to protect one another, guys trying to have each other’s backs.”
“I thought leading up to that the game was way too physical,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “It’s unfortunate, but we knew they were a super physical team. They hit you, they hold you, all the stuff that you want your physical teams to do. But I just thought it got to a point where players were going to take matters into their own hands. You don’t ever want that.”
The 12 technical fouls were the most in an NBA game since March 23rd, 2005.
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