TORONTO — The Pistons’ altercation with the Charlotte Hornets during Detroit's 110-104 victory at Spectrum Center on Monday resulted in suspensions for key players Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart.

The NBA on Wednesday announced that Jalen Duren received a two-game suspension for initiating the altercation and fighting. Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté each received four-game suspensions for fighting and escalating the altercation.

The Pistons' Isaiah Stewart, however, received the harshest punishment. He will serve a seven-game suspension for aggressively leaving the bench area to join the on-court altercation and fighting. Executive vice president and head of basketball operations James Jones added that Stewart's suspension also stems from his history of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Duren and Stewart will begin their suspensions on Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors. An NBA spokesperson told The Detroit News on Tuesday that any suspension for Duren would not prohibit him from participating in the All-Star Game this weekend.

The absence of Duren will present a significant challenge for coach J.B. Bickerstaff, but Stewart's extended suspension could prove especially detrimental to the Pistons in the upcoming weeks.

Excluding a game against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 21, which coincides with Duren's return, Detroit will have a daunting schedule coming out of the All-Star break.

The Pistons will face the New York Knicks on Feb. 19. They will then play the San Antonio Spurs (Feb. 23), the Oklahoma City Thunder (Feb. 25), the Cleveland Cavaliers (Feb. 27) and the Orlando Magic (March 1). Each opponent is near the top of their respective conferences, and each team features an All-Star caliber big man capable of dominating the game from the inside, highlighted by the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, who is averaging a career-best 24.4 points per game.

The Pistons' defensive success this season has been a team effort. They have put together the league's second-best defense with a net rating of 108.4 and have held teams to a scoring average of 109.6 points per game. However, no player has represented Detroit's defense more than Stewart.

"He’s the best defensive center in the league, and it’s not even close," Bickerstaff said on Dec. 5. "I think it is time for everyone who watches basketball to recognize it. It is not just something we will see in Detroit. He is the best defensive big in the game."

Stewart is averaging a career-best 1.7 blocks per game while leading the league in opponent field-goal percentage, holding rival players to 41.6% shooting.

Paul Reed and Tolu Smith III will play larger roles for the Pistons during the suspensions, but the Pistons' defense is likely to decline without Stewart.

Other prominent big men the Pistons will face during Stewart's suspension are the Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns (19.8 points per game), the Thunder's Chet Holmgren (17.6), the Cavaliers' Evan Mobley (17.9) and the Magic's Paolo Banchero (21.4).

Stewart will remain sidelined until the Pistons' road contest against the Cavaliers on March 3. Although Stewart was not the instigator Monday, his involvement has made him the face of the melee.

At the 7:09 mark of the third quarter, Diabate fouled Duren, who was attempting a layup. The two immediately got face-to-face. Diabate then headbutted Duren, who retaliated by shoving the 6-foot-10 big man in the face.

A shoving match ensued and Bridges got involved. Bridges’ actions prompted Stewart to leave the bench, and he threw punches in the direction of Bridges. After a review by the officials, all four players involved in the melee were ejected from the game.

"Our guys deal with a lot. They are not the ones who initiate. They are not the ones who crossed the line tonight," Bickerstaff said after the game. "It was clear through frustration with what JD was doing that they crossed the line. I hate that it got as ugly as it got. That is not something you want to see. But, if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself. That's what happened tonight."

Bickerstaff continued: "When you go back and watch the film, they threw multiple guys at JD — JD and Stew consider themselves brothers. If you run two guys at one guy, and you already crossed the line, human instincts tells him to protect his little brother. I hate this for Stew because of the things that will follow (likely suspension), but we were not the ones who crossed the line tonight."

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