On Saturday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander logged one more 40-point brilliance in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s win over the Washington Wizards. However, the incident that dominated all discussions was the full-fledged brawl between the two sides at Capital One Arena. On Sunday, the NBA handed down discipline for the incident that spilled into the stands, resulting in four ejections during the game.
NBA Suspends Justin Champagnie and Ajay Mitchell Following Thunder-Wizards Fight
Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie each received one-game suspensions without pay, while three other players were fined for their roles in the incident.
The league cited both players for “fighting and escalating an on-court altercation which spilled over into the spectator stands.” Three additional players received fines: Thunder forward Jaylin Williams ($50,000), Thunder guard Cason Wallace ($35,000), and Wizards forward Anthony Gill ($35,000).
Champagnie will serve his suspension Sunday night when the Wizards play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, while Mitchell will miss Monday night’s game against the 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The following has been released by the NBA pic.twitter.com/AfmZf9Tyvl
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 22, 2026
The incident ignited with 27 seconds remaining in the second quarter. After a basket by Gill, Williams and Champagnie began shoving each other under the basket as Champagnie tried to grab the ball to inbound it. Bilal Coulibaly walked over to separate the players, but Mitchell took issue and gave Champagnie a shove.
Champagnie responded by striking Mitchell in the face. Mitchell then lunged at Champagnie, and the confrontation quickly escalated as players from both teams rushed to the baseline. The scrum tumbled into the courtside seats behind the basket, knocking over a cameraman positioned near the stanchion before order was restored.
Officials ejected Champagnie and Williams after assessing two technical fouls against each player. Mitchell and Wallace each received a technical foul and were also removed from the game.
Despite the chaos, no punches appeared to be thrown during the altercation.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault expressed disagreement with the officiating decisions after the game.
“I disagreed with their judgment after talking to them and watching it at halftime,” Daigneault told reporters. “But, I’ve worked with John Goble a long time, and he worked through it with me. And we ended up agreeing to disagree, and both moved on. So, that’s all I can say about it.”
Wizards coach Brian Keefe, who was positioned on the opposite side of the court during the incident, offered a brief assessment of his players’ involvement. “I just know that our guys stuck up for each other, which I always love,” Keefe said.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who helped pull Mitchell away from the scrum, admitted he remained unclear on exactly what transpired.
“I was pretty confused as a lot happened,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Honestly, I still haven’t seen it. So I don’t know who was deserving of what.”
The Thunder won the game 132-111 despite losing three rotation players for the second half. The victory extended Oklahoma City’s winning streak to 11 games and improved its league-best record to 56-15. Washington dropped its 15th consecutive game, falling to 16-54.
