LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart were ejected from Sunday’s Lakers-Pistons game in Detroit after briefly coming to blows and nearly causing a bench-clearing brawl.
At the 9:18 mark in the third quarter, during a Jerami Grant free throw, as James and Stewart jostled for position, the Lakers star elbowed the Pistons center in the face.
A scrum ensued with both teams trying to keep James and Stewart away from each other. After breaking away briefly, Stewart lunged at several Lakers players again before he was corralled. Video showed Stewart with a gash near his eye and blood covering the right side of his face. As he was led off the court and headed to the locker room, Stewart tried to chase James into the tunnel.
James and Stewart were both ejected and Lakers guard Russell Westbrook also received a technical foul.
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Following the incident, the PA announcer at Little Caesars Arena repeatedly told the crowd to remain in their seats and not throw anything toward the court and players in order to avoid a repeat of the Malice at the Palace, a 2004 brawl between the Pistons and Pacers that saw a number of fans become involved.
The Lakers rallied for a 121-116 win.