Thunder Win Streak Hits 11 Amid Brawl, Ejections
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Washington Wizards 132-111 on Saturday night in Washington, extending their winning streak to 11 games, but the victory was overshadowed by a first-half brawl that led to four ejections and subsequent league discipline.
The altercation erupted with 27 seconds remaining in the second quarter, as the Thunder held a 68-63 lead. After a basket by Wizards forward Anthony Gill, Thunder forward Jaylin Williams and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie began shoving each other under the basket during an inbound play. Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell intervened to confront Champagnie, who struck Mitchell in the face. The confrontation quickly escalated, drawing in players from both teams and spilling into the courtside seats, where the scrum knocked over a cameraman before officials restored order.
Referees assessed double technical fouls to Champagnie and Williams, resulting in their ejections. Mitchell and Thunder guard Cason Wallace each received a single technical foul and were also removed from the game. The incident halted play for about 11 minutes as officials reviewed the sequence.
On Sunday, the NBA announced suspensions for Mitchell and Champagnie,...