Four players ejected after brawl breaks out during Hornets-Pistons game

A fight broke out during the third quarter of the NBA game between the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets, leading to four player ejections and a brief police presence on the court. The ejected players were Charlotte's Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges, and Detroit's Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. The incident began with just over seven minutes left in the third period when Duren was fouled by Diabate. A confrontation ensued where the players appeared to butt heads before Duren hit Diabate in the face, sparking a physical altercation that lasted over 30 seconds.

The scuffle escalated as Diabate threw a punch at Duren, Bridges charged at and punched Duren, and Duren retaliated. Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, resulting in a tussle where Stewart placed Bridges in a headlock and delivered multiple blows. The situation required intervention and led to the players' ejections for engaging in fighting activity during a dead ball, as stated by crew chief John Goble.

Following the fight, tensions remained high. In the fourth quarter, Hornets coach Charles Lee was also ejected after being restrained while arguing a no-call following a collision between players. The Pistons ultimately won the game 110-104, ending the Hornets' attempt to match a franchise record of ten consecutive wins.

After the game, Jalen Duren described it as an "overly competitive game" where emotions flared, acknowledging that while teams prefer to keep it basketball, such incidents can happen. He noted that opposing teams have been particularly aggressive towards them all season. Miles Bridges later apologized on Instagram, stating he would always protect his teammates. Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff defended his players, asserting they did not initiate the fight but were forced to defend themselves, while expressing regret over the ugly incident.

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