The Oklahoma City Thunder were sleepwalking their way to yet another routine win over the lowly and injury-riddled Washington Wizards on a light night. It was looking like a mundane day at the office for the reigning champions until the clash received an injection of adrenaline late in the first half, as a fight broke out between OKC’s Ajay Mitchell and Washington’s Justin Champagnie, with an ugly consequence for both.

“Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell and Washington’s Justin Champagnie have each been suspended for one game for altercation in Thunder-Wizards game,” ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported.

It started with Thunder’s Jaylin Williams getting face-to-face with Champagnie on an inbound pass. However, as the two were exchanging words, Mitchell intervened. And even before one could blink their eyes, it turned into an all-out brawl with players from both teams tussling over the baseline and into the stands. Soon, the staff from both teams separated everyone and took control, but the damage was already done.

Several players were ejected from the game. And even though this didn’t affect the outcome of the game, with the Thunder securing a 132-111 win, the league has dropped the hammer on the involved players today.

That isn’t much of a surprise, given that both these players were at the eye of the storm. However, what’s interesting is that Jaylin Williams and Cason Wallace, both of whom were also ejected from the game with double technical fouls, haven’t received any punishment from the league. But it is what it is, and Mitchell’s absence will hurt the Thunder even though it’s just for a game.

The 23-year-old has emerged as one of the better players for the reigning champions this season. He’s been averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. In fact, he was having a great night against the Wizards, putting up 14 points in 15 minutes before his emotions got the better of him. As for the Wizards, they just cannot catch a break.

The Washington Wizards are already dealing with a lot of injuries, and now this ban on Champagnie will only further exacerbate their problems. Nonetheless, this was a rare lapse from the Thunder, who are widely considered one of the most disciplined teams in the league. And that’s exactly what one of the franchise’s players tried to establish as they reflected on this ugly incident last night.

Isaiah Hartenstein reflects on the altercation between his teammates and the Wizards

Although fights have become somewhat of a staple during NBA games in recent weeks, the Oklahoma City Thunder is one of the last franchises to pop out in your mind when thinking about one. That’s because the first-seeded Thunder are known for letting its game do the talking. However, if provoked, they aren’t going to back down, according to Isaiah Hartenstein.

“I think it was unlucky. I think anytime, from my point of view, gets punched or hooked in the face, you have to stand up for one another,” he said post-game. “I don’t really think all three guys should get ejected. I don’t think any of them should’ve gotten ejected. At the end of the day, that’s the ref’s job to make sure it doesn’t get to that point. We just have to trust the refs and go from there.”

“Every time we play, I think there’s a chip on the other team’s shoulder,” Hartenstein continued. “There are just certain situations we have to navigate, and situations we have to trust the referee to adapt. Make sure it doesn’t get to that point. We’re also not going to back down against anything. I think it’s a combination of things. I don’t put anyone at fault in that.”

The Thunder center indicated that it’s only natural for teammates to back up each other and that shouldn’t lead to an ejection. However, he also noted that the referees, who took over ten minutes to hand out the punishments as the dust settled after the brawl, were just doing their job. That said, both the Thunder and the Wizards will be taking a sigh of relief that they’ll only miss one of their players for just one game.