Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic have been suspended following an altercation between two players during their recent game. Pistons guard Killian Hayes was suspended for three games without pay, Magic center Moritz Wagner was suspended for two games without pay, and Pistons guard Hamidou Diallo was suspended for one game without pay.
On December 28 at Little Caesars Arena, the event happened with 33.2 seconds left in the second quarter of the Pistons’ 121-101 victory against the Magic. Wagner committed a dishonest act when he pushed Hayes into the Detroit bench while both players were pursuing a loose ball. Diallo then escalated the altercation when he pushed Wagner from behind, and Hayes punched Wagner in the back of the head.
Eight more Magic players have been punished for one game without pay for leaving the bench area during the confrontation, and the three major players involved in the brawl received suspensions. These players are guards Cole Anthony, R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris, Kevon Harris, forward Admiral Schofield, and Franz Wagner, and centers Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter, Jr. Hayes and Diallo will serve their suspensions on Friday when the Pistons visit the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
In contrast, Wagner’s two-game suspension will begin Friday when the Magic plays host to the Washington Wizards at Amway Center. The remaining eight Magic players will serve their suspensions on a staggered basis to ensure, per league rule, that Orlando has eight healthy players available to play in its next two games. The altercation between Hayes, Wagner, and Diallo highlights the importance of sportsmanship and the need for players to remain in control of their emotions during games. It will be interesting to see if the suspensions handed down to the players involved in this incident will be enough to set an exam