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On-Court Brawl in NBA Leads to Two Suspensions

Originally posted on AirJordanChronicles
By Nandjee Ranjan | Last updated Mar 23, 2026 10:53 AM ET

The Capital One Arena briefly became a battleground after the recent Thunder-Wizards game saw a shoving exchange between Jaylin Williams and Justin Champagnie turn into a full-blown altercation involving several players.

The exchange that started near the end of the second quarter quickly escalated into a chaotic scrum, spilling into the stands behind the basket after Champagnie made contact with Ajay Mitchell. It required the combined efforts of several officials and players to restore order in a game that concluded with a 132-111 victory for the Thunder.

While Mitchell, Williams, Champagnie, and Cason Wallace were all ejected for their roles in the chaos, recent developments reveal that the league has suspended Champagnie and Mitchell for one game without pay. Furthermore, the NBA has also imposed a $50,000 fine on Jaylin Williams and $35,000 fines on Cason Wallace and Anthony Gill.

The following has been released by the NBA pic.twitter.com/AfmZf9Tyvl
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 22, 2026

Serving the suspension, Justin Champagnie sat out the game against the New York Knicks on Sunday, while Ajay Mitchell will be sitting out the Philadelphia 76ers game on Monday.

SGA and Mark Daigneault Opine on the Chaos

Shortly after the brawl, a snap from the altercation featuring Gilgeous-Alexander taking Mitchell away as coach Mark Daigneault looked on went viral. Daigneault’s expression in the image gave the impression that he wasn’t happy with his player getting into the altercation.

However, after the game, the Thunder coach weighed in, saying, “I disagreed with their judgment after talking to them and watching at halftime. I worked with John Goble for a long time, and he worked with me, and we ended up agreeing to disagree. We both moved on. That’s all I can say about it.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was the last to enter the altercation, claimed that he was “confused” with how things turned out.

“I guess refs watched it a few times, made a call,” he said. “I knew, regardless, we were going to have to focus back in and get back to playing basketball and try to win a basketball game.”

And while the brawl momentarily derailed the game, the Thunder were still able to send the Wizards to their 15th straight loss despite losing three players. Gilgeous-Alexander also remained unfazed as the reigning NBA MVP had his seventh 40-point game of the season.

This article first appeared on AirJordanChronicles and was syndicated with permission.

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