ATLANTA, Ga. — Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Kingston Flemings will sit out Monday night’s game against the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis after the NBA handed him a one-game suspension without pay on Sunday.
James Jones, the league’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, announced the penalty. The NBA said Flemings deliberately struck Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens in the head with an elbow on Saturday at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The hit came away from the ball with 3:04 to go in the fourth quarter and touched off a scrum. Flemings drew a technical foul and was ejected from what ended as a 121-99 Atlanta loss.
It is an early stumble for the 19-year-old guard, the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft. In his first seven NBA games, Flemings is putting up 7.1 points a night with 4.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds. He is making 47.6 percent of his shots overall and 38.5 percent from deep. His high so far is 23 points, against Miami on Oct. 28. He has played in every one of Atlanta’s seven games, a sign of how quickly the staff has leaned on him.
The timing is not great for Atlanta. The Hawks sit at 3-4 after losing four of their last five, and Monday’s game in Indiana is a chance to get back to .500 without one of their young playmakers.
The suspension covers only the Pacers game, so Flemings is in line to rejoin the rotation when the Hawks play again later in the week. Atlanta’s coaches will have to cover his minutes in the backcourt for one night.
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