A hard foul during the third quarter of Monday night’s matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center escalated into a chaotic brawl, leading to four player ejections.
Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges, along with Detroit’s Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, were all tossed from the game. The Pistons were ahead 70-62 at the time of the incident.
Detroit won 110-104, snapping Charlotte’s nine-game winning streak.
The incident began with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter when Diabate fouled Duren as he drove toward the basket. The two players squared off, briefly getting face-to-face, before Duren swiped at Diabate, sparking a confrontation that lasted more than 30 seconds.
While Pistons forward Tobias Harris tried to restrain Diabate, the Hornets forward threw a punch at Duren. Duren stepped back, only for Bridges to rush in with a left-handed punch. The altercation continued as Diabate attempted to re-engage, requiring coaches and teammates to hold him back.
Stewart, who was not active in the game at the time, left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch. The ensuing scuffle prompted intervention from both teams’ coaching staffs and security. According to NBA rules, players not in the game must remain near their bench during fights, with violations triggering an automatic one-game suspension and a $50,000 fine. Stewart’s involvement, including throwing punches, could result in multiple-game suspensions.
Per the Associated Press, Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 33 points and nine rebounds, while Brandon Miller scored 24 for Charlotte. LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel each added 20 points for the Hornets. The game’s tension continued into the fourth quarter when Hornets head coach Charles Lee was ejected after nearly confronting an official over a disputed call.