The NBA has decided to reduce Charlie Villanueva's suspension from five games to four in accordance to the league's schedule being truncated this season. Villanueva sat out the final game of last season, meaning he'll need only to miss the first three games for the Detroit Pistons when the regular season starts on Monday.
The Pistons forward was ejected for an altercation with Ryan Hollins of the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. A quick recap of the incident was published earlier on SB Nation Detroit:
Monday's incident began midway through the fourth quarter of Cleveland's 110-101 victory at the Palace. Villanueva, angered by what he felt was an intentional elbow moments earlier, set a screen on Hollins while simultaneously delivering a blow to his groin. Hollins immediately grabbed Villanueva, and the two began grappling while reaching at each other's faces.
After being ejected, Villanueva attempted to confront Hollins again in the visiting team tunnel and at the Cavaliers' bench. Following the game, he then tried to get to the Cleveland locker room but was stopped by police. That attempt to escalate the altercation is what led the league to issue a multi-game suspension, according to NBA vice president Stu Jackson.
Villanueva is penciled in as the team's starting power forward, but it's likely Austin Daye -- who started the team's final preseason game -- will get the start in his absence.