Lakers supporters had to be thinking that LeBron James was going to get punished in some way. He was removed from the game after his hit on Isaiah Stewart caused a heated altercation with the Pistons. That one would be won by Los Angeles, but James would not be in New York.
That followed the league’s decision to punish Stewart for two games and James for one game each for their roles in the altercation. However, not everyone, including Frank Vogel and Anthony Davis, agreed with the choice.
AD discussed the suspension prior to the New York game. In defense of the suspension, he cited his on-court experiences and the frequency of his face punches.
It is debatable if James intended to strike Stewart in the face in the manner that he did. The case that it did seem deliberate may also be made, unfortunately for the Lakers.
That ultimately resulted in the ban by the NBA. Without LBJ in the starting lineup, the Lakers lost their game against the Knicks in New York. However, he’ll be back and prepared to go to Indiana tonight.
