LeBron grilled over role in wild NBA brawl

3 years ago 292

The fiery fracas betwixt Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons players aft LeBron James' backhander connected Isaiah Stewart has divided opinions crossed the league.

James was ejected for the enactment which near Stewart's look bloodied arsenic helium charged towards the four-time NBA MVP to question retribution.

The disfigured scenes proved to beryllium somewhat of a flashpoint for the Lakers, who outscored Detroit 37-17 successful the last 4th to seal a 121-116 comeback win.

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With James successful the locker room, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook starred successful the last quarter, with Westbrook scoring 15 of his 26 points successful the last 12 minutes of play.

While immoderate fans adjacent labelled James' closed-fist backhander of Stewart arsenic "the eventual inexpensive shot", Davis deed backmost astatine specified suggestions.

James was ejected from the crippled aft his backhanded changeable connected Stewart was deemed arsenic a flagrant 2 foul (Getty)

"Everyone successful the league knows LeBron is not a soiled guy," helium told reporters aft the game.

"[James] accidentally deed him and arsenic soon arsenic helium did it, helium looked backmost and said, 'Oh my bad, I didn't effort to bash it'.

"I don't cognize what [Stewart] was trying to do, but I cognize cipher connected our squad one-through-15 was having it, we're trying to support our brother.

"I've ne'er successful 10 years seen a subordinate effort to bash that since I've been playing, evidently we've seen it earlier backmost successful the day.

"It was uncalled for. You got a chopped supra your oculus accidentally, it wasn't connected purpose. We weren't going to let him to support charging astatine our member similar that. We conscionable wanted to get the triumph for him."

However, others deed backmost astatine the proposition that James intentionally deed Stewart successful the face, pointing to his absorption instantly aft the incident.

James and Stewart weren't the lone players to origin a societal media storm, with fans instantly noticing an agitated Russell Westbrook frantically moving astir connected the outskirts of the messy skirmish.

Westbrook was handed a method foul for his troubles, a information that amazed him aft the game.

"I got a tech? Oh wow! Why'd I get a tech?" helium said erstwhile reporters notified him of the tech foul call.

Stewart was held backmost by aggregate players, coaches and NBA officials successful chaotic scenes (Getty)

"I didn't cognize I had a tech. Wow. That's interesting. I don't cognize what I did, but whatever. They had to enactment it connected somebody.

It is yet to beryllium determined whether James and Stewart volition person suspensions for their actions.

The Lakers volition look the New York Knicks adjacent with a travel to Madison Square Garden scheduled for Wednesday greeting (AEDT).

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