The NBA has suspended 11 players after an alarming on-court fight broke out between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
The brawl happened in the closing stages of the second quarter, with the Pistons leading 63-44 en route to their 121-101 victory. The win left Detroit with a 9-28 record while the Magic have dropped successive games to sit 13-23.
With 33.2 seconds remaining in the first half, Detroit’s Killian Hayes and Orlando’s Mo Wagner chased an awry pass into the Magic backcourt. Wagner was aware his team would be called for a backcourt violation as soon he touched it, so he slowed up to let the ball go out of bounds but Hayes attempted to cut past him.
Wagner’s checking of Hayes into the Detroit bench kickstarted the brawl, which involved every player on court. Wagner appeared to be momentarily knocked unconscious following a strike to the back of his head by Hayes following the check, with the French guard reacting aggressively.
After the chaos calmed down, Wagner was ejected for a flagrant foul while Detroit duo Hayes and Hamidou Diallo were also thrown out for their actions during the scuffle. League officials deemed Hayes and Orlando’s Wagner as the chief instigators with the pair set handed suspensions for three and two games respectively, while Diallo was given a one-game ban.
Orlando were ultimately dealt with more severely, with eight players - Cole Anthony, R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris, Kevon Harris, Admiral Schofield, Franz Wagner, Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. - suspended for a single game. The NBA penalised the team for leaving their bench and regulated area amid the on-court anarchy.
Mo Wagner's suspension begins on Friday when the Washington Wizards travel to Orlando's Amway Center. The other eight Magic players will serve their suspensions 'on a staggered basis' to help ensure the other eight healthy players are available for its next two games, according to the NBA's statement.
It means Anthony, Bamba, Carter Jr., Hampton and Gary Harris will miss the clash against the Wizards, while Kevon Harris, Schofield and Franz Wagner will be suspended for Orlando’s succeeding game on January 4 in Oklahoma City against the Thunder. Meanwhile, Hayes and Diallo will miss Detroit’s clash against the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
After the game, Franz Wagner - Mo’s younger brother and teammate - confirmed his brother was fine. Speaking to AP about the initial incident that sparked the brawl,, Wagner said: “I haven't seen the video. But I know that's the last thing he wanted to do.”
When asked about the reaction from the Magic bench, Wagner added: “We're aware of the rule, but things like that usually happen on the court, not on one of the benches. Your worry is that your teammate is down there amongst the whole other team.”
Amid the chaos, the Pistons announcer made sure history didn’t repeat itself following the infamous ‘Malice at the Palace’ incident involving Detroit back in 2004. The announcer declared: “Stay in your seats. The moment you move, you’re going to jail.”
