LeBron James will miss the Los Angeles Lakers' marquee showdown against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday after the NBA handed him a one-game suspension for his reckless hit on Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart.
James suspended after elbow hit on Stewart
The incident occurred during the third quarter of Sunday's game between the Lakers and the Pistons. Things got heated when James and Stewart's arms got intertwined as they were jostling for position during a free throw attempt. James lost his cool at that moment, swinging an elbow on Stewart's face, resulting in a deep cut above the latter's eye.
The Lakers and Pistons had to be separated multiple times after this play between LeBron and Isaiah Stewart. pic.twitter.com/im0o7fXeoI
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 22, 2021
James was given a flagrant foul for his hit on Stewart and was ejected from the game. The league deemed James' swinging elbow was deserving of a heavier punishment, with the NBA handing the four-time champion his first-ever suspension in his illustrious 19-year career. James will lose about $284,000 in salary because of the incident.
The Lakers managed to win against the Pistons even without James as they outscored Detroit by 20 points in the fourth quarter. That helped the Lakers turn an 84-99 deficit into a five-point win in the end. It was a huge win for the Lakers, who snapped their three-game losing skid.
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Stewart suspended 2 games for escalating altercation with James
Stewart did not escape punishment for his actions on Sunday as the NBA handed him a two-game suspension for "escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing" James.
Teammates and coaches guided Stewart away from the incident to diffuse the situation, but tensions again escalated when he tried multiple times to run toward James. The league deemed his actions unsportsmanlike and gave him a suspension that was even longer than James.
Stewart, who was ejected from that game after getting two technical fouls, will feel hard done by with that decision given he was the one who got injured, but the league was not happy with the way he escalated his scuffle with James.
As a result of Stewart's suspension, the Pistons will be without their center for the games against the Miami Heat on November 23 at Little Caesars Arena and the Milwaukee Bucks on November 24 at Fiserv Forum. Stewart's finances will also take a hit because of the suspension, as he will forfeit about $45,000 in salary.
This season, the Pistons have struggled mightily, losing 12 of their first 16 games to sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings. That being said, their rematch against the Lakers this coming Sunday will now be a must-see TV with all eyes set to be on suspended foes James and Stewart.
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