It is an amazing suspension to say the least. Tonight, the NBA handed out the penalties following Wednesday night’s little scuffle between Killian Hayes, Moritz Wagner, Hamidou Diallo, and a horde of players who came to block (or fight, according to the good feelings of each). Spoiler, the Magic lost big.
Nine players suspended. One for being the trigger by pushing a Killian Hayes at full speed on the spectators, Moritz Wagner, and the other eight because of an obvious violation of the rules: leaving his bench in the middle of a match. The incident taking place in the Pistons area, the Michigan franchise has only two suspensions to deplore. Those of Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo. It must have been so stressful for Jamahl Mosley who saw all his men sprinting one following another towards the Detroit bench. There is normally a small security cordon to prevent players from getting up. It looks like he didn’t last. For the NBA, the room criterion may seem trivial in the distribution of sanctions. But 18 years earlier, it was at the Palace of Auburn Hills that Bad Boys and Pacers exchanged courtesies. From this match in Detroit resulted a hardening of the rules related to the exchange of phalanxes. You’re the trigger even if it’s a game foul? Sanction. Are you taking revenge for a game foul? Sanction. Are you pushing into the fray? Sanction. The case Malice at the Palace is no longer just in people’s heads, it is between all the lines.
Do you get up from your bench to come and see because there was light and good sound? Punishment, but not because of Malice at the Palace. The rule was made following the Eastern Conference semi-final between the Knicks et le Heat en 97 : big beating, the substitutes came to get involved, the NBA did not want that to happen. This rule also – in the minds of many – cost the Suns a ring in 2007! Game 4 of the conference semi-final once morest the Spurs, Robert Horry sends Steve Nash flying on the scorer’s table, big general, Boris Diaw and Amar’e Stoudemire (Phoenix’s best scorer on the series) make the mistake of leaving their bench and are – in the process – suspended for a meeting. Two major players set aside at the most important of times… for that? It’s silly, but that’s the rule.
Well, is there an equivalent to the general sanction affecting Orlando? “Only” nine players suspended in the Malice at the Palace case. It is less than for this small exchange of saloon version 2022 which sent eleven players on the key. We haven’t found an equivalent in the numbers, so let’s pretend it’s a first.
How is the Magic supposed to proceed with nine fewer players? Adam Silver thinks of everything. The eight suspended for a single game are divided into two groups : Cole Anthony, Mo Bamba, Gary Harris Wendell Carter Jr. and RJ Hampton will not play Friday’s game once morest the Wizards, while Kevon Harris, Admiral Schofield and Franz Wagner are suspended for the trip to Oklahoma on January 4 . We do not touch Paolo Banchero, Bol Bol, Markelle Fultz and Caleb Houstan, all four lined up on the floor when Mo Wagner unpinned. They were more or less within their rights. But hey, if the Wizards want to win a basketball game this week, they know which date to tick on the calendar.
