Lance Stephenson has been suspended one game by the BIG3 after throwing a punch during Miami 305's opener against the LA Riot on Saturday. Michael Beasley also was suspended for one game after the league said both players were ejected in the fight-filled start to the new season in Los Angeles.
The punishments hit Miami 305 immediately because the reigning champion was left with only two players and lost by forfeit. That is the clearest sign of how fast a game can unravel in the BIG3 when ejections carry through to a roster that is already thin.
Stephenson's penalty came after he threw a punch at Jordan Crawford following a hard foul, while Beasley was involved in a scuffle with Dwight Howard. The league did not offer a broader discipline window beyond the one-game suspensions, but the effect was enough to turn a season opener into a loss on the spot.
The opening slate also put several former NBA names on the same floor, with Howard, Beasley, Stephenson, Jordan Crawford and Mario Chalmers all involved. Beasley and Howard had been teammates on the 2015-16 Houston Rockets, a team that reached the playoffs and lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
For Miami 305, the bigger problem is what comes next. The team is scheduled to face the Detroit Amps in Week 2 in Detroit, and it must do that after losing two players to suspension before the season has barely started. That is a rough way to defend a title, and it leaves the champion trying to steady itself before the standings have even had time to take shape.
