Atlanta, Georgia: Hawks Rookie Kingston Flemings Suspended One Game for Elbow to McGowens

The NBA has suspended Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Kingston Flemings for one game without pay, the league announced on Sunday, November 1. The league said Flemings intentionally elbowed New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens in the head during Atlanta's 121-99 loss in New Orleans on Saturday.

Flemings, 19, will serve the suspension on Monday, November 2, when the Hawks visit the Indiana Pacers. It is the first league discipline of his short NBA career.

How the play unfolded

The incident came late in a game Atlanta had long since lost. With just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Flemings drove for a layup and his elbow caught McGowens in the face as the Pelicans guard blocked the shot, USA Today reported.

Trey Murphy III grabbed the rebound from the miss and tossed the ball to Zion Williamson, who threw it back to Murphy for a dunk that made the score 119-93. In the background, as the players followed the play downcourt, Flemings threw an elbow at McGowens' head. The two teams then scuffled at center court.

After a review, officials gave Flemings a technical foul and ejected him from the game. New Orleans forward Julian Reese also received a technical foul in the skirmish.

His night and his season

Flemings had 12 points, six assists and two rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench before the ejection, one of the better lines in a 22-point loss. The Hawks took him with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Houston, and through seven games, all as a reserve, he is averaging 7.1 points, 4.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds.

After the loss, Flemings did not hide from what he had done. "Upset we were losing the game, so definitely apologize for that," he told reporters. "Gotta be smarter than that."

What it means for Monday

The suspension costs Flemings one game of pay and leaves Atlanta short a ball handler in Indiana. The Hawks' own update for the Pacers game also listed Jalen Johnson as questionable with a left ankle sprain and Jock Landale as out with a left hip strain, so the rookie's absence lands on a thin night for the rotation.

For a 19-year-old picked eighth overall, one game is a cheap lesson if it sticks. The league has now marked the elbow on his record, and the next hard foul will be judged against it.