WASHINGTON, D.C. — A sideline confrontation late in the first half Saturday led to four ejections during the Oklahoma City Thunder’s road game against the Washington Wizards.
The dispute began under the basket when Wizards forward Justin Champagnie and Thunder forward Jaylin Williams exchanged pushes during a dead ball, according to the officiating crew’s pool report. The scuffle quickly grew as Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell and teammate Cason Wallace joined the fray, with players spilling into the courtside seats.
After video review, crew chief John Goble assessed two technical fouls to both Champagnie and Williams, triggering automatic ejections. Mitchell and Wallace received one technical foul each for escalating the incident and were also removed from the game.
Goble said Champagnie’s second technical was for making contact with Mitchell’s face, while Williams drew his second for actions during the fight. Goble added that Anthony Gill appeared to shove Mitchell but was not penalized because officials judged that Wallace had pushed Gill into the scrum.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander expressed little surprise at Mitchell’s involvement. “He’s tough as nails … I knew there’d be no back-down when he’s involved,” he told reporters.
Head coach Mark Daigneault said he and Goble “agreed to disagree” on the final rulings. On the Wizards’ side, coach Brian Keefe noted he was too far away to see details but appreciated that his players “stuck up for each other.”
Saturday’s dust-up is the third recent incident involving Oklahoma City. On January 27, Luguentz Dort and Jeremiah Fears were fined $25,000 apiece for a postgame confrontation. Dort was later ejected for tripping Denver’s Nikola Jokić in late February, prompting a face-to-face exchange between Jokić and Williams.
Center Isaiah Hartenstein said the Thunder’s physical style often invites heated moments. “We’re not going to back down … we have a passionate group,” he commented.
The league is expected to announce any fines or suspensions before Washington visits New York on Sunday night. Oklahoma City’s next game is Monday in Philadelphia.
Source: Hoops Rumors
