Chicago — The Pistons will be down two players when they face the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo will serve suspensions without pay for their roles in Wednesday’s altercation with the Orlando Magic, the NBA announced Thursday.
Magic center Moritz Wagner pushed Hayes into the Detroit bench while both players were pursuing a loose ball. Diallo, who received a technical foul and was ejected, then pushed Wagner from behind. Hayes then punched Wagner in the back of the head. Hayes was given a technical foul and ejected. All three acts were deemed unsportsmanlike and escalations by the league.
Hayes is not eligible to play for three games, meaning he’ll re-join the team in San Francisco ahead of their rematch with the Warriors on Wednesday.
Diallo was issued a one-game suspension and will miss Friday’s game in Chicago. He is eligible to return on Saturday against the Timberwolves.
Wagner received a two-game suspension for his role in the incident.
In addition, the league also announced that eight other Magic players – guards Cole Anthony, R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris and Kevon Harris, forwards Admiral Schofield and Franz Wagner and centers Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter, Jr. – have each been suspended one game without pay for leaving the bench area during the altercation.
The loss of Hayes and Diallo makes the difficulty level of Friday’s game against the Bulls that much higher now that the Pistons will be without their starting point guard and one of their highly-energetic rotation wings.
Friday’s game against the Bulls marks the start of a five-game road trip, followed by games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs.
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2