Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Knight said the Los Angeles Lakers’ Metta World Peace punched him during a confrontation in the Lakers’ 98-97 victory Sunday at the Palace of Auburn Hills, the site of World Peace’s infamous fight in 2004 when he went into the stands to fight a fan who threw a beer on him.
World Peace was assessed a flagrant foul on the play. Knight said it should have been worse.
“The play needs to be reviewed because he definitely threw a punch,” Knight told reporters after the game. “It felt like he threw a punch. That’s why I reacted the way I did.
“The play was over and he grabbed me around the neck. If someone grabs you around the neck, you’re not just going to let that happen. You do what you need to get that person off you.”
World Peace and Knight tussled under the hoop while going for a rebound with 1:43 remaining in the second quarter. Play was stopped and an official timeout was signaled so the referees could assess the situation.
“He’s a small guy,” World Peace said after finishing with eight points and nine rebounds in the win. Knight “was trying his hardest to keep me off him. He worked hard, man. That kid, I don’t know where he’s from, I don’t know what school he went to, because he was guarding me and I was crashing the boards. He’s a tough kid, man. He tried to keep me off the glass and he did a good job. That’s all I can say. He’s a tough kid, very great. He’s a tough point guard or shooting guard or whatever he is.”
It was the first flagrant foul of the season for World Peace, playing at the site of his infamous season-long suspension nine years ago.
“They got tangled up and they determined that he was a little bit more aggressive than the other guy,” said Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni. “It happens.”
