Monday's game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons turned into a brawl midway through the third quarter.
Pistons center Isaiah Stewart wasn't on the court for the sequence that initially included Moussa Diabate, Miles Bridges, and Jalen Duren, but he left the bench after seeing Bridges take a swing at Duren. Stewart and Bridges got physical before it was quickly broken up. As expected, the four players were ejected from the action.
The NBA will undoubtedly review the situation, and suspensions could be on the way. For Stewart, he could be in a tough spot, considering he's been suspended on numerous occasions. That will certainly factor into the length of his eventual absence.
"We aren't going to see Isaiah Stewart for a very long time," said ESPN's Bobby Marks. "Repeater offender status will certainly come into play."
A Brief History of Isaiah Stewart's Suspensions
Back in 2021, Stewart went viral for an incident against the Los Angeles Lakers. After he was bloodied during gameplay, Stewart attempted to pursue LeBron James. Even while his peers attempted to hold him back, Stewart could not be calmed down. He had to be escorted off the court. He was suspended for two games.
A few years later, Stewart was suspended for an off-court incident. Before a matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Pistons, Stewart had an altercation with Phoenix's Drew Eubanks. It was reported that Stewart threw a punch at the veteran, which led to a three-game suspension for the Pistons center.
Last year, Stewart picked up a one-game suspension after getting too many flagrant fouls. A few months later, he was suspended for two games after getting involved in an on-court altercation against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That scene resembled Monday's battle between the Hornets and the Pistons. Stewart was suspended alongside his teammates, Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser. On the other side, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo were suspended.
While the Pistons are going to enter the NBA All-Star break with the Eastern Conference's top seed, they certainly don't want to see players go out, especially when the situation could've been avoided. Stewart is a standout defensive presence for the Pistons' bench and is certainly a difference-maker for their team.
In 47 games this season, Stewart has averaged 10.1 points while shooting 54 percent from the field. Along with his scoring, he has averaged 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
Newsweek